A thief made off with a watch, a laptop and a haul of booze after breaking into a flat in Dundee’s West End.
Jason Massie, 29, forced his way in through a window in a cupboard on Union Place and stole more than £1,000 worth of goods that were never recovered.
The crook was snared after leaving blood and fingerprints at the scene, as well as a locking knife on the outside window ledge.
Massie, a man with multiple convictions, was jailed after admitting the break-in at Dundee Sheriff Court.
The woman who resides at the flat returned at 1am on February 10 2020 and realised the front door was no longer locked.
Initially, nothing seemed out of place until she noticed her laptop was missing from the living room.
“The storage room was opened and it was noted that the window had been smashed,” fiscal depute Lynne Mannion said.
“Three bottles of champagne and a bottle of Captain Morgan rum was missing. A smart watch, a backpack and a large pink towel were also stolen.
“Police were contacted and found blood in the cupboard, which was not there when the complainer left.
“Under the damaged window was a locking knife that was used to smash the window.”
Massie’s DNA was found at the scene and he was arrested. In total, the stolen goods were deemed to be worth £1,076 and were never found.
Massie, formerly of Paisley Road, Glasgow, but now a prisoner at HMP Perth, admitted breaking into the flat and stealing a backpack, a watch, a laptop, two bottles of champagne, a bottle of rum, three bottles of wine and a towel on February 9 or 10 2020.
Solicitor Grant Bruce said Massie had been working with multiple agencies in prison in order to try and turn his life around.
Sheriff Richard McFarlane ordered him to serve 27 months in prison.
He said: “Breaking into people’s houses and stealing property is very serious.
“I do not think an alternative to a custodial sentence is in the public interest.”
