A thief carried out a Mission Impossible-style raid at a historic building.
Martin West committed the heist at the Egyptian Halls in Glasgow’s Union Street in May last year.
The 53 year-old tied himself to a rope, carved a hole in a ceiling and lowered himself into the Dr Faust shop below.
The store – which specialises in Gothic and vintage clothes – was shut at the time due to the first Covid-19 lockdown.
CCTV captured West carrying out the crime.
Thousands of pounds of goods stolen
Prosecutor Carrie Stevens told Glasgow Sheriff Court: “It showed West lowering himself down a hole in the roof using a rope within a cupboard.
“He then entered the front room of the shop with the rope still attached to his stomach.
“He selected items such as laptops, cameras and clothing before concealing them in carrier bags.”
The shop owner later discovered his store had been ransacked but there was no sign of forced entry.
West had climbed scaffolding on the outside of the halls and attached a bungee cord onto the poles, lowering himself on it into a cupboard in the shop below.
His loot – which was never recovered – is believed to have been valued at several thousand pounds.
‘Thank you, sir’
James Mulgrew, defending, told the court West was able to carry out the theft despite having been under the influence of alcohol and valium at the time.
The lawyer added: “He cannot tell me how he became involved with a case of this nature.”
Sheriff Paul Crozier jailed West for 18 months after he pled guilty to theft by housebreaking.
Sheriff Crozier told him: “It seems clever and I will point out opportunistic, for someone to attend and have a rope with them.
“It seems there was some degree of planning.”
West stated “thank you, sir” before being led, handcuffed, to the cells.
