A 26-year-old has been remanded in custody after admitting to shoplifting on three occasions and pretending to police that he was two different men.

Paul Wallace, of Glebe Place in Saltcoats, who also goes by the name of Paul Finlay, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week and pled guilty to three charges of theft by shoplifting and one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

On November 24 last year, Wallace, who was living in Kilwinning at the time, stole a quantity of food items from RS McColls in the town’s West Doura Court.

Wallace then stole a quantity of cleaning products from Semichem on Countess Street, Saltcoats, and food items from the town’s Iceland store on July 5.

On the same date at Green Street in Saltcoats and at Saltcoats Police Station, Wallace attempted to pervert the course of justice.

With the intent of evading arrest on a warrant, he pretended to two police officers that he was two different people – two men sharing the same surname and born on the same day in 1992.

The case was adjourned until July 31 for the purpose of obtaining a Restriction of Liberty Assessment, a CPO Progress Report, and a Criminal Justice Social Work Report.

Wallace/Finlay was remanded in custody until then, bail having been refused