A thief who targeted a children’s nursery was snared by a trail of blood left behind at two premises he broke into.
James Watson’s blood was found by police investigating break-ins at the Daisychain Nursery in Kirkcaldy and Fife Autobil Trailers in Dysart. He was also captured on CCTV.
Windows were smashed at both locations and DNA from blood swabs taken matched that of Watson.
The 41-year-old, who appeared in Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court from Perth prison, admitted breaking into the Loughborough Road nursery on October 19 last year, and the trailer yard in Berwick Place on November 10, stealing money, alcohol, laptops and mobile phones.
Describing the second break-in, depute procurator fiscal Dev Kapadia said: “Scenes of crimes officers attended and took swabs from the blood. Subsequently the DNA analysis of this matched the DNA of the accused.”
When police later spotted Watson near his home in Cairns Street East, Kirkcaldy, he ran away but was caught and found to be in possession of a knife.
Mr Kapadia said: “He was asked about his DNA being present at the locus, he said he couldn’t explain it.
“He was asked why he was on CCTV and he said ‘if I was there on CCTV and it’s my blood it was me’.”
Defence solicitor Christine Hagan said Watson had committed the thefts to fund a crack cocaine habit he had lapsed into after being on a methadone programme.
Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist QC ordered Watson to return to prison to serve 388 days from a previous sentence and imposed a further 18-month sentence.
