A KELTY woman seen walking out of a garden with a chain saw concealed under her jacket was given a restriction of liberty order this week.

Shirley Cochrane (56), of Cranbeth Place, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday after admitting two charges of theft.

She stole the chainsaw from a house at Oakfield Street on June 8 while she also plead guilty to stealing a purse and its contents from a house in Kelty's Drum Street on September 16 this year.

Depute Fiscal, Kiran Uppal, said Cochrane had visited the house in Oakfield Street with a friend and the chainsaw, which was valued at £500, had been lying on the floor.

Cochrane was seen walking out of the garden carrying the chainsaw with her jacket concealing it. She returned soon after without it.

Defence solicitor, Elaine Buist, said the whereabouts of the chainsaw remained a complete mystery.

"She was under the influence of alcohol on that occasion," she told the Court.

The Court heard that on 16th September, a resident of Oakfield Street, who was known to Cochrane had taken her children to school and returned home and gone to bed. She had forgotten to lock the front door and, on hearing it open and close, came downstairs to find Cochrane holding her purse.

Ms Buist said her client appeared to have a "complete blank" regarding both incidents.

"On both occasions, there is a situation where, in her recollection, it was not a theft," she explained.

"On the first occasion she felt she had gone to borrow the chain saw and in the second case, she was looking to borrow £2 for a bus fare.

"If that was what she intended, that was not what she was doing and she was not going about it the right way."

Sheriff Charles Macnair said both offences were committed against people who Cochrane knew and it appeared she was "taking advantage" of that.

He added: "I take into account, however, that you have not any previous convictions for dishonesty – if you had any convictions for that you would have been going to prison."

As well as being placed on a restriction of liberty order for four months for the purse theft, Cochrane was given a community payback order with a supervision requirement for 18 months with the direction that she would have to attend drug or alcohol counselling as directed by her supervising officer.

A further 85 days were added onto her restriction of liberty order as punishment for the chainsaw theft.