A bungling thief who smashed his way into a Perth coffee shop to “pinch a munchie” has been jailed for nearly two years.
Christopher Anderson was traced after police followed a trail of dropped coins from popular city centre café Willows.
Owner Michael White watched a live feed of the late night raid and saw Anderson smashing his till on the floor, before scooping up handfuls of cash.
The 37-year-old gabbed some drinks from the fridge before fleeing the scene.
Earlier this summer, Anderson was given a “last chance” to avoid going to prison, after social workers told a court that jail would be a “massive setback” for him.
But he returned to the dock this week and was jailed by an exacerbated Sheriff Gillian Wade.
“This is the saddest thing I’ve had to do today,” she told him.
‘I have bent over backwards to help you’
Perth Sheriff Court heard Anderson, of St Catherine’s Square, had breached a court order by only carrying out a portion of unpaid work in connection with a previous conviction.
Sheriff Wade said she had no choice but to revoke the community service order and impose a custodial sentence.
“This gives me no pleasure whatsoever,” she said.
“The amount of people who had put a great effort into keeping you out of jail and yet you have done nothing.”
She said: “This is a situation where you have not completed the punitive part of your sentence.
“I now have no option but to revoke the community payback order.
“I have bent over backwards to try and help you but there’s nothing else I can do.”
The sheriff added: “This is a serious offence.
“You broke into a commercial premises and you caused considerable disorder.”
Anderson was jailed for 22 months.
Break-in was fourth in 18-months
Fed-up Willows bosses joked about installing “armed security” after Anderson’s break-in on September 15, 2021.
It was the fourth time the St John’s Place establishment was raided within an 18-month period.
Owner Michael White called police as he watched a live feed of the thief rooting through his establishment.
He told us: “The last two years have been difficult enough for the hospitality industry without incidents like this.
“We’d like to thank the police for their swift response.”
When cops found Anderson hiding behind a parked car, he initially said: “I did not do it.”
He later told them: “I just had a drink and pinched a munchie.”
The court heard he caused about £200 of damage and stole around £124 from the register.
