A one-man crimewave who has amassed more than 150 convictions is back behind bars.
Mark McNolty was jailed for 17 months by Sheriff Gregor Murray at Forfar for offences that included stealing £1,290 from Ladbrokes on Arbroath High Street in January when he staged the opportunist raid after a staff member’s back was turned.
McNolty, 34, formerly of Arbroath and now living in Peterhead, also pleaded guilty to a string of shoplifting and bail offences.
Defence solicitor Ian Flynn said: “Matters accumulated very quickly when he moved to Arbroath. He has since moved to Peterhead and there has been no further offending.”
Sheriff Gregor Murray told McNolty he was fortunate the Ladbrokes theft had not been prosecuted at solemn level.
“You have 86 previous convictions for theft or shoplifting and 68 convictions for breach of bail or failing to comply with court orders.
“The reason you have not had any community-based sentences is simply because you go on crime waves.”
Also at Forfar, Jamie Caldow, 26, now Brechin but formerly of Newmanswalls Avenue, Montrose, was given a one-year community payback order, including 100 hours of unpaid work, after admitting behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at the house of his ex-partner in the town on February 5.
Sheriff Murray noted it was Caldow’s third domestic conviction.
Christopher Archibald, 32, of Annat Road, Montrose, was placed on a high-tariff structured deferred sentence until September 10 after admitting shoplifting on July 23.