A serial thief who broke into a Perth house after stealing the owner’s jacket and keys has been jailed.
Daniel Cahill, who was last month locked up for a raid on an ambulance, snatched handfuls of cash – including Turkish Lira – from the property in South Inch Terrace.
He was caught on camera converting the foreign currency at a city centre jewellers.
The 33-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted the break-in on June 10 2021.
Sheriff Grant McCulloch rejected a plea from Cahill’s lawyer to impose a sentence that would run concurrently with the 22-month jail term handed down four weeks ago.
Homeowners became suspicious
The court heard how the homeowner reported to police his jacket, containing his house keys, had been stolen from his workplace.
Fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton said: “At about 3pm that day, the accused attended at Ramsden’s, in Perth High Street.”
He converted 4,000 Turkish Lira – about £150 – into Sterling.
Mr Hamilton said: “Later, the woman who resides at the South Inch Terrace property, returned home and noticed that one of the front door locks was unlocked, and the door was only secured by a Yale lock.
“On entering the flat, she noticed the bedroom light was on.
“A Bluetooth speaker was also missing and a camera had been moved.”
The prosecutor said: “She became suspicious and checked the rest of the property.
“A box containing Turkish Lira, together with £1,000 cash, had been removed from a bottom drawer.
”Police were contacted and officers identified the accused from CCTV footage at Ramsden’s.
Cahill had also been caught on camera stealing the homeowner’s jacket.
The court heard none of the money, or the speaker, was recovered.
Embarrassed
A defence agent for Cahill said: “He is embarrassed by this and he knows that a custodial sentence is inevitable.”
The lawyer suggested that the new jail term could run concurrently with the 22-month sentence he is already serving.
“So no punishment at all?” asked Sheriff McCulloch.
He told Cahill: “You’ve shown little or no remorse for this matter.
“You broke into someone’s property, went through their belongings and stole cash.
”You have an appalling record for violence and dishonesty, over many, many years.”
The sheriff jailed Cahill for eight months. The sentence will begin after his current jail time has expired.
Ambulance raid
Last month, the court heard how Cahill ransacked an ambulance in Scone, and left a trail of needles and syringes.
Paramedics came to his aid when he was found lying unconscious in the street.
But they were forced to flee their vehicle when he flew into a rage while receiving treatment.
It happened just days after he was released from prison.
Sheriff William Wood told Cahill he had deprived the public of vital services.
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