A woman screamed in terror after waking to find a thief in her bedroom.
Marcin Madraszek, 28, sneaked in through an open window before stealing Christine McCarthy’s jewellery and a purse on Castle Street, Forfar.
The crook also tried to force his way into a flat a few doors down the street before being caught by the owner.
Drunken Madraszek was arrested after approaching police officers and asking for a taxi number.
Eye at the peephole
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Ms McCarthy had locked her front door on the evening in question but had left her living room window open.
A neighbour in her block had returned home from a night out at around 1am.
An hour later, a friend went to put something in a bedroom and heard a noise at the front door.
Through the peephole, she could see a man, later revealed to be Madraszek, wearing a green checked shirt, pressing his ear against the door.
He quickly left the property and nothing more was thought of his presence – until they heard screaming coming from upstairs.
“At around 3am, the witness McCarthy was awoken by a noise and presence in her bedroom,” fiscal depute Carol Doherty said.
“After opening her eyes, she saw a figure and the accused moved towards the bed.
“She screamed and the accused immediately ran out.
“She was able to see it was a tall male, of slim build and wearing a short-sleeved checked shirt.”
Ms McCarthy’s neighbour ran upstairs after hearing her scream for help.
She was “distressed and crying” while sitting on her doorstep.
Earlier in the morning, residents were disturbed after hearing noises and Madraszek, who has previous convictions from Poland and the Netherlands, was found at the entrance to the flat.
Fled into restaurant
A witness asked Madraszek what he was doing and he ran off into the restaurant below the property.
He was led out after saying he was looking for Bar Central.
Police were called out to find him at 3.10am the same morning and were approached by Madraszek in the police station car park.
Ms Doherty added: “The accused was speaking very broken English and asking for a taxi number.
“Both officers noticed the male matched the description passed on in relation to the theft on Castle Street.
“They asked the accused to provide identification and they could see he had a brown purse protruding from a hole in his jean pocket.
“Four gold rings, a bracelet and a lighter were also found, which were confirmed to be the witness McCarthy’s.”
The charges
Madraszek, of Bridge Street, Brechin, pled guilty to breaking into a property occupied by Naeem Rahre on Castle Street with the intent of stealing on July 7 2019.
He stole rings, a bracelet, a lighter and a purse from Ms McCarthy’s home on the same date.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence on Madraszek until July for reports to be prepared.
His bail order was allowed to continue.
