A Ramsey man has been convicted of stealing fuel from Spring Valley Industrial Estate.

Robert John McCluskey, of Andreas Road, was caught by police as he drove out of the estate on May 2 with drums containing diesel fuel.

Prosecutor James Robinson told the court how police patrolling the area saw a Citroen C8 leaving the estate at 2.10am.

They followed the car which it was said appeared to be ’heavily laden’.

The vehicle was stopped at Garth crossroads and McCluskey was identified as the driver.

In the back of the car were four 200 litre drums with a strong smell of diesel fuel coming from them.

McCluskey told police: ’I have taken it from where you first saw me,’ and offered to show officers where he had stolen the fuel from.

He then took them to the rear of unit 29 in the industrial estate.

The drums in the car contained 800 litres of diesel fuel and police also found a battery operated pump and other accessories used to put the fuel in the drums.

The total value of the stolen fuel was said to be estimated at £440.

Unit 29 was found to belong to Isle of Man Development Company Limited.

McCluskey also admitted taking fuel from unit 11 belonging to Aircraft Design and Stress Analysis.

Investigations found that the line out of one of the fuel tanks at unit 11 had been damaged.

McCluskey told police that he had not been able to get any fuel out of that tank so had tried a second tank, then gone to unit 29.

He said that he intended using the fuel for his own heating system.

The court heard that an order could be made to confiscate the vehicle used in the theft.

Mr Robinson said that the matter was suitable to remain in summary court for sentencing and that there would also be a compensation claim as the fuel was now unusable due to contamination as it had been put in oil drums.

Defending McCluskey in court advocate Paul Rodgers said: ’Police have the vehicle. We would oppose any application for forfeiture of it. We accept the estimated fuel values as right. Mr McCluskey would say the oil drums were cleared of oil before the diesel was put in them.’

Mr Rodgers asked for an adjournment to allow time for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes adjourned the case until June 20.