A 52-year-old Dundee “superstar” of the local dancing competition scene, who claimed in court to have 29,000 hits showing his moves on YouTube, has been fined £400 by Sheriff Munro.
Garry Mitchell, of Scott Street, told the court he had been sleeping rough in the building site at Roxburgh House after receiving death threats due to his success on the dancefloor.
Unemployed Mitchell was found guilty after trial by Sheriff Munro of being found in the curtilage of the building site at Roxburgh House, Royal Victoria Hospital, on April 14, whereby in all the circumstances it may be reasonable to infer he intended to commit theft there, while on bail.
Staff nurse Kirsty Reid told the court she had been in the unlit staff room on a break at 3.30am and saw a “prowler” leaning backwards against a glass door of her building, which looked on to the new extension being built at Roxburgh House.
She said she told a colleague and shortly afterwards police arrived and she saw the same person being arrested by officers.
Police constables Grace Small and Rory Duncan said they found Mitchell hiding under a tarpaulin, in a foetal position, acting as if he was asleep.
Mitchell told the court he had been dancing in Lyrics Bar in Dundee and had won competitions and been on YouTube.Broke ankle in somersault accidentHe said, “I’ve had 29,000 hits and because I was the best dancer people were coming to my door and telling me they were going to kill me, saying, ‘you’re having an affair with my wife’.”
Mitchell said he had seen the building site when he was cycling past and went up there to sleep, to get away from people coming to his door.
He said a spanner, screwdriver and gloves found in a rucksack where he was discovered were to gain entry through the perimeter fence, and a white sack in the back was to pull over his legs to keep warm.
Mitchell also told the court he had since broken his ankle while he was practising a backward somersault for another competition.
Finding him guilty, Sheriff Munro then heard he had previously admitted a similar offence at the derelict Westbay Nursing Home in Albert Road in Broughty Ferry.
Describing his client as “something of a superstar character in the local dancing competition scene,” solicitor George Donnelly said he had been found by police after being heard “scavenging” among the wreckage of the building for scrap metal.