UK man's massive electricity theft forces teen neighbor to take job

A shocking incident of electricity theft has drawn global attention from the UK. A man from Tayport in Fife stole so much electricity from his neighbours that their teenage daughter had to work to help sustain the family. This unprecedented crime has sparked outrage and highlighted the severe consequences of electricity theft.

Electricity theft by neighbour

According to the BBC, Leslie Pirie, an electrician, was ordered to repay ?4,000 (Rs 433,138) to his neighbours after diverting their power supply to his own home. Pirie, 51, set up an elaborate system using a device hidden behind a picture frame to steal electricity between July 2017 and August 2020.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Hugh and Tracy Torrance's electricity bills were so high that they had to get their teenage daughter to work to help fund the payments. Investigators discovered that the family was unknowingly funding both their own and their neighbour's electricity bills. Pirie punched a hole in the plasterboard and connected it to Mr Torrance's meter before hiding a Henley block, which separated the supply, under a framed painting.

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Solicitor John Boyle stated, “The neighbours were out ?4,000 due to Pirie’s electricity theft.” Although Pirie admitted to the theft, his actions have severely strained his relationship with the Torrance family. Despite being neighbors, the trust between them has been shattered.

'We thought he was a nice guy'??

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Fife Council is now seeking to evict Pirie from the three-bedroom house he has lived in alone since his mother's death in 2010. Due to unemployment, Pirie has been given more than eight years to repay ?40 per month. Sheriff Morag Fraser admonished Pirie and ordered him to repay the couple.

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Mrs. Torrance expressed her disappointment, saying,?“We thought he was a nice guy.”

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This incident underscores the devastating impact of electricity theft on innocent families. The Torrances, once believing Pirie to be a trustworthy neighbor, are now burdened with financial hardship and a fractured community relationship

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