A rampant criminal was caught red-handed during a Dundee break-in after the householders’ cats began acting strangely.
John Harris fled after being confronted by a woman who screamed when she found the crook in her living room.
The 56-year-old was caught after being hunted by her partner and police officers.
Harris – who was been breaking into properties for 40 years – is now facing a further stint in prison after admitting the offence at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Alerted by cats
It was revealed the couple had locked all doors and windows before going to bed, with the woman still awake at around 1.30am.
“She noticed her cats acting strange and spooked by something,” prosecutor Stephanie Paterson told the court.
“A short time later, she heard a loud bang as if a door had just been slammed.
“She went downstairs to check the noise and noticed the living room light was on.
“Upon walking in, she saw the accused standing directly in front of her.”
The fiscal depute said the woman “began to scream loudly” in a panic, which prompted a bloodied Harris to flee out of the kitchen and into a neighbour’s garden.
Her partner raced downstairs to assist and tried to trace his stolen iPhone with an app.
Caught nearby
Harris was arrested at around 2am a short distance away, where he was found with the phone, a bank card, driving licence and alcohol.
Police noted the kitchen window had been forced open, with blood visible.
HMP Perth prisoner Harris pled guilty to breaking into a property in the Douglas area on May 4 this year.
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith deferred sentence until next month for a social work report to be prepared.
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