A serial thief who targeted parked cars in Perth will spend Christmas behind bars.
Slaughterhouse worker Alexander Laurie made off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods during a series of after-dark raids in April last year.
Perth Sheriff Court heard detectives found some of his haul when they raided his flat in St Catherine’s Square.
But many of the items – including expensive tools and a tablet computer – were never found, despite a social media appeal.
Laurie, 31, was jailed for an assault in Coupar Angus in August but was due to be released from prison this week.
However, he will stay locked up until the new year after pleading guilty to four charges of theft.
Things were ‘out of place’
Fiscal depute Erika Watson said Laurie targeted a white Ford Fiesta, parked outside its owner’s house in Kingswell Terrace on April 6 or 7 2022.
“The owner parked up at around 10pm,” she told the court.
“At 7.15am the next morning, she got back into the vehicle to drive to work.
“She noticed that some things were out of place.
“She became so concerned that she pulled over and checked her boot.”
The woman spotted an iPad and a number of scratch cards were missing.
They were never recovered, Ms Watson said.
Missing jeans
Laurie struck again overnight on April 21/22 at Rannoch Road.
This time, he helped himself to tools and clothes from a Ford Transit van.
“The owner of the vehicle noticed his van was insecure when he returned to it at 8.10am,” the fiscal depute said.
“He noticed that the lid on a storage compartment, above the steering wheel, was broken.
“He then searched the back of the vehicle and noticed that a brand new pair of black Levis jeans were missing.
“Numerous tools of considerable value had also been taken.”
The tools were worth more than £1,700, the court heard.
Facebook appeal
A few days later, Laurie set his sights on a third car, this time parked at Comelybank in the city’s Kinnoull area.
Ms Watson said: “This was an offence in a similar vein.
“The owner went to her car at 1.25pm and noticed her glove compartment was open.
“The central console was also open.”
Her purse, Samsung phone charger and AirPods – valued at £189 – were missing.
The fiscal depute said: “There appears to have been a Facebook campaign and ultimately the police got involved.”
Investigators later secured a search warrant for Laurie’s flat in St Catherine’s Square.
They found a stash of stolen items inside a storage cupboard in his kitchen.
But many of the items reporting missing were never found.
Not a pretty picture
Solicitor Roberto Manini, defending, said: “My client is aware that these offences pass the custody threshold.”
Sheriff William Wood deferred sentence until January 10.
He told Laurie: “I will call for reports in this case.
“I am not obliged to do that and I could just hand down another custodial sentence upon you.
“But I am told that this offending is part of a wider course of conduct.”
The sheriff added: “At this stage, I don’t really know anything about you other than your previous convictions which don’t paint a pretty picture.
”For that reason I will remand you in custody.”
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