A near-naked Dundee householder who leapt on a thief who was trying to steal his car in the middle of the night has praised the lengthy sentence he was given.
Have-a-go hero Alan Smith was able to pull serial housebreaker Alan Rachwal out of the family car while it was moving and got a good look at him to help police track him down.
Rachwal, a prisoner at Edinburgh, was jailed for a total of 45 months at Dundee Sheriff Court after admitting a total of 11 charges of theft by housebreaking and of stealing and taking and driving away vehicles, costing several thousand pounds. Much of the stolen property was recovered. Mr Smith said the sentence was excellent and his family will sleep safer at night knowing he is behind bars.
He told the Courier: “My wife and daughter will be happy about that because they are still hearing noises at night after what he did.
“It’s good because the police were saying they have been trying to get him so many times and hoped he would get longer this time because I caught him red-handed.
“Whether that type of guy will ever change I don’t know, but I’m just glad he is going away for a long time this time.”
Rachwal, 32, admitted that on July 29 2013 he broke into the house occupied by Alan Smith in Hillbank Gardens and stole a TV, two laptop computers, a tablet computer, an iPod, a set of speakers and various other items, including two sets of keys and £400 in cash and taking and driving away a car and driving without a licence or insurance.
He further admitted on the same date using a screwdriver to break into another house in Hillbank Gardens by forcing open a patio door with intent to steal, and committing those offences while on bail.
Rachwal further admitted that on June 20 2013, he broke into a house in Viscounts Pend and stole a TV and laptop computer.
He further admitted on the same day breaking into another house at Viscounts Pend and stealing a laptop, set of car keys, a bag containing confidential files, a mobile phone and a car. Between July 1 and 5 2013 he broke into a house in Baldovan Terrace and stole a TV, a games console, computer games and a pedal cycle.
On July 2 he broke into a house in Silver Button Yard and stole a set of car keys, a TV and remote control and a car.
Depute fiscal Beverley Adam told the court that at Hillbank Gardens, Denise Smith heard a noise and went downstairs at around 4.30am and saw Rachwal enter the driver’s seat of the car and try to start it.
She screamed for her husband who came running down and ran outside in his underwear. He opened the driver’s door and pulled Rachwal from his car but he ran off.
Neighbours at the other addresses saw Rachwal acting suspiciously and contacted police and were able to identify him through photographs.
A resident in Baldovan Terrace heard a door being kicked in shortly after midnight and saw three males dressed in black and wearing gloves.
He called police but they were not traced. Later that day he saw three males in hooded tops going into the back garden and retrieving a TV from the bin recess and putting it in a car.
Rachwal was eventually caught and remanded in custody. Solicitor Doug McConnell said Rachwal was fully aware a custodial sentence was inevitable.
Sheriff George Way told Rachwal: “You have penetrated people’s security. Very little can be said to emphasise the seriousness and the impact of your crimes on people in their own homes.”