A notorious Fife housebreaker and drug dealer has been sentenced to 32 months in prison after his criminal record caught up with him.
Sentence had been deferred on Scott Paterson, 34, last week when he was convicted of a theft by housebreaking so a good behaviour report could be prepared for court.
Serial Fife thief sees sentence deferred despite stealing jewellery from bedside table
However, on Tuesday, fiscal Claire Bremner told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court the report had revealed further allegations of drug possession and intent to supply, and various other dishonesty offences made against him in the last few weeks.
Paterson, of Balbirnie Rise, Markinch, was jailed for 16 months on the most serious of the charges he faced, namely that he climbed through a kitchen window in Ballingry’s Navitie Park on October 3, 2019, and stole hundreds of pounds worth of jewellery that had been sitting on a bedside table.
Experts used DNA and fingerprints found around a window to trace the crime back to Paterson.
Serial Fife thief sees sentence deferred despite stealing jewellery from bedside table
The jail term was doubled as Sheriff James Williamson punished him for a spell of bad behaviour going back to June 2018.
Paterson was caught in possession of a mobile phone while a prisoner at HMP Addiewell on June 6, 2018.
He also entered a house in Kirkland Gardens, Ballingry, at 11.45am on November 3, 2019.
Paterson was later found hiding behind furniture after breaking into offices in Cowdenbeath’s King Street on November 12, 2019, and was found in possession of heroin.
On that occasion the property owner’s daughter entered the premises at around 9.40am and heard banging coming from the kitchen, Ms Bremner told the court.
She initially thought it was someone who was supposed to be in the property but an hour later another witness arrived, went into the kitchen and saw the back door was open and the light was on.
She then saw Paterson lying on the floor behind a chair and shouted: “What are you doing here? You need to get out.”
Paterson told the woman someone was chasing him and claimed he “stumbled” into the room.
Police were called and found a bag of brown rocks weighing 22.7g in his possession, which was later confirmed as diamorphine or heroin.
Paterson admitted all of the offences. Defence solicitor Christine Hagan said he recognised the seriousness of the crimes “collectively and individually”, and revealed the Navitie Park theft had been committed as he was still due a drug debt.
“It’s fair to say drug use has been a significant factor in Mr Paterson’s life for many years,” she said.
Ms Hagan added that any new allegations her client might face had not yet come before the courts, and urged Sheriff Williamson to consider other options than
Serial Fife thief sees sentence deferred despite stealing jewellery from bedside table
However, on Tuesday, fiscal Claire Bremner told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court the report had revealed further allegations of drug possession and intent to supply, and various other dishonesty offences made against him in the last few weeks.
Paterson, of Balbirnie Rise, Markinch, was jailed for 16 months on the most serious of the charges he faced, namely that he climbed through a kitchen window in Ballingry’s Navitie Park on October 3, 2019, and stole hundreds of pounds worth of jewellery that had been sitting on a bedside table.
Experts used DNA and fingerprints found around a window to trace the crime back to Paterson.
Serial Fife thief sees sentence deferred despite stealing jewellery from bedside table
The jail term was doubled as Sheriff James Williamson punished him for a spell of bad behaviour going back to June 2018.
Paterson was caught in possession of a mobile phone while a prisoner at HMP Addiewell on June 6, 2018.
He also entered a house in Kirkland Gardens, Ballingry, at 11.45am on November 3, 2019.
Paterson was later found hiding behind furniture after breaking into offices in Cowdenbeath’s King Street on November 12, 2019, and was found in possession of heroin.
On that occasion the property owner’s daughter entered the premises at around 9.40am and heard banging coming from the kitchen, Ms Bremner told the court.
She initially thought it was someone who was supposed to be in the property but an hour later another witness arrived, went into the kitchen and saw the back door was open and the light was on.
She then saw Paterson lying on the floor behind a chair and shouted: “What are you doing here? You need to get out.”
Paterson told the woman someone was chasing him and claimed he “stumbled” into the room.
Police were called and found a bag of brown rocks weighing 22.7g in his possession, which was later confirmed as diamorphine or heroin.
Paterson admitted all of the offences. Defence solicitor Christine Hagan said he recognised the seriousness of the crimes “collectively and individually”, and revealed the Navitie Park theft had been committed as he was still due a drug debt.
“It’s fair to say drug use has been a significant factor in Mr Paterson’s life for many years,” she said.
Ms Hagan added that any new allegations her client might face had not yet come before the courts, and urged Sheriff Williamson to consider other options than custody.
However, the sheriff said he had no option but to send Paterson, who appeared in the dock with a bag of belongings, back to prison.
