A Levenmouth housebreaker will serve more time in prison after he admitted two stealing sprees.
HMP Perth inmate Christopher Lothian swiped jewellery, watches and a trio of ornate vintage suitcases from house in Methil’s Ward Street in May, 2018.
But he was caught out after stealing and trying to use a teenager’s bank card, Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard.
A girl who lives at the property, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received notification shortly after midnight that her under-19s card had been used to make a transaction.
As she was on the phone to TSB she searched her home for the card and noticed that her bus pass and driving license were also missing.
Fiscal Depute Claire Bremner said the teenager cancelled her card immediately and the next morning reported the items as missing to police, assuming she had dropped the blue Stagecoach wallet they were stored in.
However, when her mother returned from a holiday shortly after and realised her dressing table had been raided, suspicions were raised.
A jewellery box had been taken along with its contents and five watches.
Missing items recovered
Days later, four officers obtained and executed a search warrant at a property in Shakespeare Avenue where they found the missing jewellery and a letter addressed to Lothian.
While there, they also noticed an Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker which they had not at that time been reported stolen.
Night-time raid
Thirty-year-old Lothian also broke into the home of Steven Fraser and Hayley Wakefield.
The court heard that the couple had gone to bed at around 10pm.
Mr Fraser woke up shortly after 5am and found a host of items missing, including an iPad, Samsung tablet and a Michael Kors purse.
He initially noticed cigarettes had been taken from a table so began a full sweep of the property.
He found that the hopper window in the conservatory was open and the rear door was closed but unlocked.
Release date was just weeks away
Lothian pled guilty to breaking into the house on Omar Crescent, Buckhaven, and stealing jewellery, electrical items, money, a tablet, a purse containing bank cards, cigarettes, alcohol and sunglasses overnight on either May 11 or 12, 2018.
His defence solicitor explained that Lothian was on a methadone programme and had recently been imprisoned.
He had been scheduled to be freed in September and his solicitor said he was “feeling every minute.”
Sheriff Eric Brown sentenced him to a further 11 months behind bars.
