A man who broke into a Dundee pub and fled with just a stolen hoodie has been jailed.
Prosecutors had originally alleged Scott Mitchell stole the till from Molly Malones on Dundee’s West Port.
But they accepted a not guilty plea to that charge and he admitted forcing entry and stealing the hooded jumper.
The 45-year-old was on licence at the time of the break-in, August 16 last year.
The Perth Prison inmate appeared by videolink at Perth Sheriff Court to be sentenced.
History of petty theft
Molly Malones is not the first Dundee bar from which Mitchell from has stolen low-value items.
He made off with fizzy juice after breaking into Clark’s Bar just three days into the first lockdown in 2020.
A hearing last year at Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Mitchell was caught with a can of Coke he had taken after forcing his way into Clarks on Lindsay Street.
Around £1,000 of damage was caused as a result of Mitchell’s actions.
He was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to the raid, among other offences.
Fiscal depute Lynne Mannion revealed how CCTV captured Mitchell forcing his way into the premises.
She said: “At 6.55am, the accused looked around the door area before kicking it multiple times and gaining entry.
“He wandered around and searched behind the till, looking for something of value.
“He took multiple tins of juice and exited the locus to Johnston Street. The value of the damage to the door and till was around £1,000.”
Mitchell was still on licence from this raid when he broke into Molly Malones.
Addiction
Solicitor Ross Donnelly explained Mitchell is fit to complete a drug testing and treatment order.
However, Sheriff Grant McCulloch said he only believed Mitchell had a 20% of succeeding in the programme and refused to make the order.
The sheriff explained voluntary support is available, which Mitchell could seek if his desire to kick his addiction is genuine.
Having spent all of 2022 behind bars, Mitchell was handed a sentence by Sheriff McCulloch which will see him liberated within weeks.
The sheriff jailed him for 18 months, backdated to December, telling him the break-in must have been “painful” for the business owner.
He said: “You broke into the premises.
“All you took was a hoodie.
“Had you taken the money as well, I wouldn’t be dealing with it this way.”
