A GREENOCK man who found a credit card in the street and used it to 'buy' booze has been fined hundreds of pounds at the sheriff court.

Joseph Boyle, 40, fraudulently obtained alcohol worth more than £70 from a shop in the town.

A sentencing hearing was told that the card's owner had been on a night out when he dropped it and opportunist thief Boyle came across it.

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Procurator fiscal depute Chloe Lacey said: "On May 1 at 11.30am the accused entered a shop and concealed his identity with his hood.

"He approached the till and purchased items using the card belonging to the witness.

"The total value of the goods was £71.49."

The complainer contacted police to report the incident after logging into his banking app which alerted him to the transaction.

Boyle, of Hillend Place, was identified from CCTV footage and later arrested.

Defence solicitor Aidan Gallagher told the court: "He is embarrassed by his conduct and does not remember much about it.

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"He was under the influence, found the card and used the card to buy further drink with it.

"This is not behaviour that he has demonstrated in the past and it was isolated."

Mr Gallagher said Boyle, who was in 'a major road traffic accident which he was lucky to live through and required extensive surgery', has 'no real history of dishonesty'.

Sheriff Sheena Fraser said: "This is not a victimless crime simply because it is the institution [bank] rather than the individual that has suffered this loss.

"I take the view that this can be dealt with by way of a monetary penalty."

Boyle was fined £250, reduced from £400, plus a victim surcharge of £20.

The fine will be repaid at a rate of £10 per week.