Man fitted secret device to neighbour’s meter to steal £4,000 of electricity

‘They still remain neighbours, but obviously they are not on particularly good terms.'

A couple struggling with eye-watering energy bills were shocked to find out their neighbour was stealing thousands of pounds of electricity from them.

Electrician Leslie Pirie, 51, set up an elaborate system to divert the supply from the Torrance family’s home upstairs down to his own.

Hugh, 52, and Tracy Torrance, 46, said their bills were so high they were forced to get their teenage daughter to get a job to help pay them off.

When investigators were called out to look into the unusually high charges, they immediately realised the family were paying for the energy supply to their own home as well as to Pirie’s.

They discovered the unemployed electrician had cut a hole in the plasterboard to hide a blocker device which he then covered up with a framed picture.

Pirie admitted stealing £4,000 of electricity from the Torrances at the building in Lundin Crescent in Tayport.

He scammed them for more than three years between July 2017 and August 2020.

Pirie, who still lives next door to the couple, was ordered to pay the full amount in compensation, but was given more than eight years to pay it back at £40 per month.

Fiscal depute Kate Scarborough told Dundee Sheriff Court: ‘The accused is essentially the downstairs neighbour of Mr and Mrs Torrance and had been for some time.

‘The complainers became aware of their electricity bills becoming increasingly and unusually high. They contacted the electricity provider and the council and investigations were carried out.

‘This led to a house visit to the properties at 10 and 12 and that revealed there had been Henley blocks added to the power supply. This device was splitting off the supply from the complainers’ at number 10 to the accused’s property at 12.

‘They had an electric smart meter fitted and that is how they were able to keep track of top-ups. The Henley blocks were found in the accused’s property behind a picture frame.

‘When the picture frame was moved, a portion of the dry wall had been cut out and the Henley blocks were fitted into the hole.

‘Analysis revealed the value of the electricity diverted to the accused was £4,000.’

Solicitor John Boyle, defending, said: ‘I suspect the money has not been reimbursed so they are essentially out of pocket to the tune of £4,000.

‘They still remain neighbours, but obviously they are not on particularly good terms.

‘The council are aware of this and prior to this coming to light there were already steps being taken to remove him from the property. It is a three-bedroom property, but since the death of his mother in 2010 he has been the only resident.

‘The council have been trying to have him removed and I suspect this will be the final nail in the coffin. He has expressed his willingness to compensate them, but that would be in modest instalments. He is not working.’

Outside court, Mr Torrance, a boat builder, said: ‘We put in a pre-pay meter and it was using £10 a day or more. My daughter was giving me money just to keep us going.

‘In 2020, an electrician came out to look at it and he knew straight away what had been going on. They went in his house and found a hole cut out in the wall. His meter was at zero for ages.’

Lab assistant Mrs Torrance said: ‘We thought he was alright, quiet, just a nice guy. I just feel really disappointed. We never got paid back anything because this happened after the meter.’

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