Ayr sheriff said motorbike theft case made him depressed

Dec 30 2011 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A MOTORBIKE thief was blasted by a sheriff who told him his only ambition in life is to get a bottle of Buckfast.

Sheriff Jack McGowan said he felt depressed after reading reports about Mark Rogerson’s attitude.

Rogerson, who has a string of convictions, landed back in court after stealing a motorbike and then hiding it.

But the dopey lout was caught red handed by police when he went back to get it.

Rogerson, 24, attracted the attention of police who saw him shoving the Yamaha bike with a pal along East Road in Prestwick.

At Ayr Sheriff Court this week, Rogerson was jailed for the theft.

Depute fiscal Jim Kelman explained that the owner of the motorbike parked it at around 6pm on September 9 outside his home in Ayr’s Northfield Avenue.

But at 8.45am the following morning he realised it was gone.

Then at around 1.45am the following morning police travelling along East Road spotted Rogerson with the bike.

They quickly established where it had come from.

Following his arrest, Rogerson appeared in court and pleaded guilty.

But after he was released on bail, Rogerson ignored an appointment with social workers and failed to turn up at court for sentencing.

So a warrant for his arrest was issued and then he was remanded in custody.

At court this week defence lawyer Peter Lockhart urged Sheriff McGowan to be lenient when passing sentence on him.

Mr Lockhart added: “He has a lack of motivation in his life.”

But after reading reports on Rogerson, of James Brown Avenue in Ayr, the sheriff jailed him for four months.

And he said: “On this occasion, you stole a motorbike, hid it and went back for it.

“Your attitude towards life and towards offending is depressing.

“You seem to have no more ambition in life than getting a bottle of Buckfast and getting drunk on it.”