A brazen thief stole £14,000 in cash from the home of a Perth plumber on holiday with his family.
Darren Crossley also made off with two designer handbags after raiding the Fair City house.
The cash – which was stored in a safe – and the bags were never recovered.
Crossley was eventually snared after his DNA was found on a BB gun in the property.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how career criminal Crossley, from the Stirling area, gained entry to the home on Scouring Burn Crescent through an open window in the kitchen.
Snared by DNA
Prosecutor Joanne Ritchie said: “(The witness) runs a plumbing and heating business, which is conducted from his house.
“Cash is secured within a safe.
“The accused is unknown to the witnesses.
“The witnesses had left to go on holiday.
“A joiner attended to carry out work and would re-secure the property when they left.
“On September 4 2022, they returned home and entered the kitchen and noticed their son’s washbag was in the sink.
“A BB gun and two safes were also now in the sink.”
A number of items had been moved around the house.
£14,000 in cash was missing from a safe and the complainer’s wife was also missing two handbags worth £250 and £150, respectively.
Repeat offender
Police and scenes of crime officers attended and Crossley’s DNA was eventually traced on the BB gun.
Crossley, a prisoner of HMP Perth, pled guilty to breaking into the house – in the Charlotte Gate site on the edge of Perth near Broxden – on September 3 2022 and stealing a safe containing £14,000 and two handbags.
Solicitor Ken Dalling said there was little he could say on behalf of 49-year-old Crossley, who had served several custodial sentences for similar crimes.
He was sentenced to 20 months in prison by Sheriff Alastair Carmichael.
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