A supermarket worker who was involved in a £316,000 gold bullion scam was ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work yesterday.
Michael Sajid was sent a package after an 84 year-old woman was allegedly duped into posting it.
But, the 38-year-old told police he had nothing to do with any gold – and that he was working shifts at Lidl when deliveries were made.
Sajid was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to a charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act of taking part with others in having possession of “criminal property” described as a bar of “gold bullion” weighing over one kilo on 10th June, 2020.
He initially faced seven charges but two were dropped mid-trial and he was found not proven on the others.
The dad-of-four was further convicted of allowing his former home in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, “to be used for the delivery” of the item.
Sheriff Barry Divers placed Sajid, now of Glasgow’s Govanhill, on a community payback order which is an “alternative to custody.”
Sajid was tagged for 10 months keeping him indoors between 10am and 10pm as well as ordered to do the unpaid work.
The sheriff said: “If there are any problems and you do not comply then I will send you to prison.”
Jurors heard evidence agreed between the prosecution and the defence that an 84 year-old woman made three separate purchases of gold bullion – totalling seven bars – between May 28 and July 2 2020.
The value was said to be a £316,272.
The pensioner sent six packages between those dates via Royal Mail special delivery to a Glasgow City Council flat where Sajid was the tenant since October 2019.
The bullion had a weight of just over six kilogrammes. The name on the packages was “G Langsdon”.
The agreed evidence stated Sajid was working at the Lidl branch in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire at the time.
The court heard how the pensioner – then caring for her ill husband – was initially contacted by a Simon Fraser claiming to be from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
He stated her bank account was being probed for an apparently fraudulent purchase on Amazon.
The OAP believed this individual to be “genuine”.
She was told to then move all her investments into another account.
The woman stated to jurors someone claiming to be from her bank’s fraud team then called.
The person contacted her asking her to buy gold bullion from a named woman in the Isle of Man to apparently help with the fraud case.
The pensioner said: “After it was successful, I was asked to buy another three. When that had gone through I was asked to buy three more.”
Fiscal Katie Malcolm asked the witness if she was to forward the bullion on.
She replied: “Yes, I was. I was told to package it and send it to an address in Glasgow.”
The pensioner posted a number of packages via recorded delivery.
But, she realised matters were “not right” when she was asked to get her sister involved as well.
The OAP contacted her bank and the police. It was discovered the story she had been told was false.
Miss Malcolm asked the witness how she now felt about the incidents.
She replied: “Stupid and humiliated. I cannot believe I had fallen for it.”
It was revealed that all the money paid to different accounts and the cash to purchase the bullion was returned to the woman.
A postman went on to state to jurors that he recalled he delivered to an Asian male at Sajid’s address.
Sajid’s home was searched in August 2021. Nothing was found by police.
The court heard he was quizzed about the accusations and stated: “I definitely did not do that at all.”
Sajid told police he did “feel” for the woman said to have been conned, but that he “could not live with himself” if he had been involved.
He added he would not have been home for the postman calling as he worked in the morning.
On eventually being charged, Sajid stated: ” I have not f**ing received anything, I am not f***ing like this.
“Tell her f***ing family to look after her. I have not robbed an old woman.”
Frank McAuley, defending, told the sentencing that his client was not the “architect” for the fraud.
The lawyer added: “He doesn’t necessarily need to know what is in the parcels – all that was required is that he needed an understanding that there was criminal property.
“My words to the jury were that there was more than one victim.
“He was taken advantage of by others for their own personal gain.
“My client didn’t gain anything personally from this and there is no evidence that he did as he lives a modest, humble life looking after his children.”