STEPHEN Robertson showed there is honour among thieves when he turned himself in to police. Robertson had stolen a trailer – but later discovered that someone else had been arrested for his crime. He had sold the stolen trailer for �100, and the man who b

STEPHEN Robertson showed there is honour among thieves when he turned himself in to police.

Robertson had stolen a trailer - but later discovered that someone else had been arrested for his crime.

He had sold the stolen trailer for �100, and the man who bought the vehicle had been arrested, Ely magistrates were told.

"He knew someone else had been arrested, so quite honourably and rightly he handed himself in," solicitor Jacqui Baldwin told the court.

Robertson, 38, of The Barns, Littleport, admitted stealing a twin axle trailer belonging to Leslie Walton, in Soham on February 17.

Mr Walton had left his trailer in Bushel Lane, after taking it out of a garage, said prosecutor Laura Mardell.

"He forgot about it, and the next morning realised it was missing," she added. "The trailer was found the next day, with its registration mark scratched off the rear plate."

On March 8, Robertson went into March Police Station and admitted the theft.

"He said he had seen the trailer, it was insecure, and he later returned and hitched it up to his car and took it away. He sold it the next morning for �100," said Miss Mardell.

Miss Baldwin said Robertson had a prescription for the heroin substitute heroin, and was stable on that.

"Your crime was pre-meditated," said presiding magistrate Hamish Ross. You saw someone else's property, and later returned. You thought "that'll do nicely," and hitched it up."

Robertson was fined �100 and must pay �85 court costs and a �15 surcharge.