A Dundee man angered at his sacking by energy giant SSE plotted and then spectacularly botched a revenge raid on one of its supply depots.
Josh Keddie’s first misstep was stealing his dad’s car to carry out the late night robbery in rural Perthshire.
He then left behind tracks and evidence at the secure yard near Madderty where he forced entry.
He might still have escaped with a haul of high value copper wire had he not over-exerted himself trying to load three bales into the vehicle.
Sometime after the 24-year-old might otherwise have fled the scene he was discovered by passing police officers, doubled over and breathing heavily in a lay-by.
The copper cabling was clearly visible in the rear of the car despite efforts to conceal it beneath a high-vis yellow jacket.
Keddie, of Ballater Place in Dundee, admitted breaking into a Scottish and Southern Energy secure storage facility on January 17 this year to steal a quantity of copper wire.
He also admitted taking and driving away a car from an address in Dundee without its owner’s consent and driving without insurance.
He ordered Keddie to carry out £200 hours of unpaid work, fined him £300 and endorsed his licence with eight penalty points.
