A thief with a Scream-style mask raided a Fife school.
Michael Wilson broke into Valley Primary, in Kirkcaldy, and stole a safe.
Police caught him in the grounds of the school clutching a mask similar to those worn in the horror movie series directed by Wes Craven.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, the 40-year-old was jailed for 34 months after he admitted breaking into the school and stealing a safe and its contents.
Police went to the school in Valley Gardens when the alarm activated just after 6am on December 8 last year.
Procurator fiscal depute Claire Bremner told the court: “The accused was found in the grounds of the school. He was wearing gloves and carrying a Scream Halloween mask.”
Police also found a hammer and chisel near broken shelves in the school office.
The court heard Wilson had an extensive criminal record and the safe contained paperwork.
Wilson’s solicitor Martin McGuire said his client had quickly pleaded guilty to the offence. He said Wilson, who appeared from Perth Prison, had suffered from a long term drug addiction and after a period in prison had fallen back into opiate use.
Wilson had only been released on bail at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court the Friday before the offence, which happened on a Sunday.
Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist QC told Wilson: “This was a particularly serious case of theft by housebreaking.
“This clearly involved a premeditated and targeted theft of a safe in a primary school.”
Ten months of Wilson’s sentence will involve serving part of a previous term.
