Red Bull / Danny MacaskillA man stole an expensive bike from the flat of a Scots professional cyclist who got it back after a social media campaign.
Francis Stevenson, 52, made off with a total of £11,765 of items from Danny Macaskill, 37, on May 7, 2019.
The stunt cyclist – who has amassed 500 million views on YouTube – locked his flat in the city’s Pollokshields after midday.
Around an hour later, a neighbour noticed a man he did not recognise in the stairwell.
The neighbour spoke with the man who was sorting two polythene bags.
Mr Macaskill returned around 5pm to find that a variety of items had been taken.
Prosecutor Sean Docherty: “The following items were stolen – a mountain bike valued at £8,500, two ski jackets valued at £570, a Gucci watch valued at £500.
“There was also a Tag Heuer watch valued at £980, mixed currency totalling £600, a Nintendo Switch valued at £300, a passport, a Seiko watch at £100 and a beard trimmer valued at £15.”
Macaskill, who was noted to have a “large scale social media following”, posted a request for information regarding his stolen property.
Requests were also made to identify the offender who Macaskill had an image from nearby CCTV.
Police footage clocked the man later identified as Stevenson cycling away from the flat.
Mr Docherty said: “On May 13, 2019, following the message on social media, witnesses observed Stevenson riding the bike on Maryhill Road.
“They stopped Stevenson and retrieved the bike and cycle helmet before he then made off.”
Stevenson, of the city’s Maryhill, was arrested nearly a month later for another matter.
He pled guilty to a single charge of theft.
Sentence was deferred until October for good behaviour by Sheriff Matthew Jackson KC.
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