A man sneaked into a house in Montrose and stole a set of car keys and the family car, which he used in a break-in to a house in Dundee.
Guy Weston, 30, of The Cottage, Linlathen, Broughty Ferry, was jailed for two years by Sheriff McGowan after admitting the offences.
Weston admitted that on August 1 2013, at Bailie Wilson Way, Montrose, he stole a handbag, a purse and contents, a car key and a car.
He further admitted that on August 1 he broke into a house at The Steading, Valgreen, Duntrune, and stole a number of items, including a quad bike and an ignition key, two watches, cigarettes and commemorative medals.
He further admitted that on August 1, at Dundee Road, he drove while disqualified and without insurance.
His co-accused, John Wade, 26, of Findhorn Street, Dundee, admitted that on August 2, at 29 Swallowtail Court, he reset a holdall, a quantity of computer games consoles and computer games, a quantity of controllers and games accessories and a quantity of compact discs and DVDs.
Depute fiscal Laura Bruce told the court the female occupant of a house left her home at 5.15am to take her dogs for a walk and her car was in the drive.
At 6.20am she heard the dogs barking and a neighbour said he had seen a man walkingdown a path between their houses.
The woman then came downstairs and could not find her car keys before discovering the car had gone.
Later that morning a woman went to a bank machine and noticed Weston had several bank cards.
She took note of the number of the car he drove off in and reported her suspicions to the police. She identified Weston from photographs, Ms Bruce said.
The same morning, the householder at a property in Burnside of Duntrune noticed that a quad bike, two watches, cigarettes and ornamental war medals were gone.
Police later saw Weston riding the bike in a car park. He ran off but was later arrested.
Solicitor Kevin Hampton said Weston was addicted to drugs and asked Sheriff McGowan to impose a non-custodial sentence.
Sheriff McGowan told Weston: “The significant factor is your very lengthy record of offending and one particular charge causes me serious concern, that is the charge of committing a theft in someone else’s home while someone is present in the house, with the potential for confrontation and the alarm that would cause.”
He jailed Weston for 24 months and disqualified him from driving for three years. He placed Wade on a community payback order with supervision for two years and ordered him to complete 230 hours unpaid work.