Sticky-fingered hairdresser pays for follicle folly

Hairdresser convicted of theft and fraud after stealing salon equipment and selling it on eBay

A U.K. hairdresser who stole equipment from the salons he worked for has not only lost his job, but also his freedom.

Mark McMorrine, 37, of Lasswade, Scotland, worked in an Edinburgh salon owned by stylist Charlie Miller and later managed another of Miller’s salons. Between December 2004 and September 2006, McMorrine stole 946 sets of hair straighteners. He then instructed trainees from the salons, who were unaware the hair irons were stolen, to post them on the auction website eBay. When bids were placed on the irons, he finalized the transactions on computers at work.

McMorrine made more than $125,000 from the sale of the hair irons as well as high-end shampoos and conditioners from the salons, which he used to buy cars and finance a wedding.

Accountants discovered there was a large amount of missing stock at the Edinburgh salons and told Miller, who hired private detectives to find the hair iron thief. McMorrine was told of the investigation and tried to blame other employees. However, the thefts were traced back to him through his eBay account, which used his car’s licence plate number as a user name.

The Edinburgh Sherriff Court said McMorrine breached the trust of his employer and the seriousness of the breach and the length of time he spent doing it must be considered in his sentence.

McMorrine was found guilty of theft and fraud and sentenced to 18 months in jail.

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