A serial housebreaker stole vital medication for recovering alcoholics before making off with a haul of goods from a student flat.
Alexander McLanders, 38, smashed his way into rehab centre Jericho House before targeting a flat occupied by three students on Laburn Street a few weeks later.
A sheriff slammed McLanders’ despicable conduct and locked him up for three years.
The brazen thief was caught wearing a stolen jumper at the time of his arrest.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that the manager on sleepover duty at Jericho House came downstairs to see the kitchen window slightly ajar at around 7am.
He became suspicious due to a recent spate of housebreakings and saw several items strewn all over the floor.
A quantity of medication, prescribed to residents suffering from alcohol addictions, had been taken from a locked cupboard.
Fiscal depute Kirsten Letford said CCTV was recovered from the Dundee Rep Theatre and the University of Dundee which showed McLanders leaving a car with another man near Jericho House before the break-in.
The court heard he made off with over £350 in cash, tools, a debit card and a bus pass during the raid. None of the items stolen were recovered.
A few weeks later, a female student living in Laburn Street received a text from her bank saying her debit card had been used at a convenience store in Forfar.
The woman had never been to Forfar and immediately returned home knowing that was where she had left her bank card.
Mrs Letford said: “The woman to find the front door unlocked and a misdirected Amazon parcel had been ripped open on the sofa.
“All items from her desk were strewn across the bed. Her purse was not on her desk and all her money from a jar had been taken which was a mix of euros and sterling.
“She was in a state of distress and contacted her flat mate. He confirmed his Xbox games console and accessories had been taken as well as clothing and alcohol.”
Police returned a month later and recovered a stolen HDMI cable and a Barclays card which was identified as belonging to them. Many of the other items had not been recovered.
McLanders, a prisoner of HMP Perth, admitted breaking into Jericho House, Artillery Lane, on October 11 last year and stealing a quantity of cash, prescription medication and various other items.
He also admitted breaking into a flat on Laburn Street and stealing a number of goods on October 29.
Kevin Hampton, defending, said McLanders had a host of previous convictions for theft and previously served numerous custodial sentences.
He revealed McLanders appreciated he would be returned to prison and was committing the offences to feed a crippling drug addiction.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed McLanders for 36 months.
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