Man dating boss’s girl stole safe with £50,000

A MAN who broke into his boss’s New Town house and stole a safe containing £50,000 whilst dating his employer’s daughter has avoided prison.

Kenneth McCaskey, 26, was sentenced at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday to 300 hours’ community service for stealing a security box from Jeremy Hitchins’ home in Royal Circus.

The court had earlier heard how McCaskey’s girlfriend was Lucy Hitchins and that he enjoyed a good personal relationship with her 
family.

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McCaskey stole the safe some time between December 10, 2011 and March 5 last year.

The Hitchins only realised the safe had been stolen after their house was flooded out.

McCaskey, of East Pilton Farm Crescent, confessed to the crime during a tearful telephone call to Lucy Hitchins. He told his horrified girlfriend: “I’ve made my bed. I deserve to suffer for it.”

McCaskey then told her mum and dad that he had given the safe to an individual – who was not named in court – and that this person had taken approximately £30,000 from it.

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Sheriff Gordon Liddle yesterday said that because McCaskey had pleaded guilty he was entitled to a discount in sentence.

Sheriff Liddle added: “It would be foolish for you in the extreme to re-offend. You are on an extreme knife edge.

“Your discount is not being sent to prison.”

At an earlier hearing, depute procurator fiscal Karon Rollo told the court that McCaskey worked for the Hitchins for three years before he committed the robbery. She siad: “During that time, he became involved in a relationship with their daughter Lucy.

“Mr Hitchins based his business at his home and the accused worked for him there.

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“Mr Hitchins’ practice was to keep money relating to the business in a safe in the house.

“There was £50,000 which was kept in the safe. The safe was taken from the house.”

McCaskey pleaded guilty to a housebreaking and theft charge last month.