A one-man crimewave who threatened to stab shopworkers and stripped naked during a row outside a Perth homeless hostel has been jailed.
Serial shoplifter Stephen Strain was originally charged with a public indecency offence after a bottomless outburst at Greyfriar’s House last month.
But the 42-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted a reduced charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner – whilst naked from the waist down – after prosecutors accepted there was no sexual element.
Strain, who was banned from Marks and Spencers after carting off £800 worth of booze in a shopping trolley, also pled guilty to clashing with staff at stores in the city centre.
Naked outburst
The court heard Strain had been turfed out of the Princes Street homeless unit, but returned on August 7 to collect his possessions.
He was handed a bag, but sent outside when he shouted at a staff member calling her a “f***ing clown”.
Fiscal depute Erika Watson said: “The accused immediately began ripping open the bag of items that had been returned to him, then proceeded to take all his clothes off.”
She said: “In the driveway, he placed a T-shirt over his top but his bottom half was naked.”
Strain chatted to another resident in a wheelchair, before pulling on a pair of shorts.
He demanded re-entry into the homeless unit but was refused.
However, he managed to get back inside when the gate malfunctioned.
He ranted at staff and complained about his clothes bag bursting open.
Threatened staff
Strain further admitted threatening employees at Perth’s Food Warehouse when they approached him on May 2.
He told workers: “I’m going to f*** you up after work” and “I’m going to stab you if I get charged.”
Strain also admitted breaching a bail condition by going into Marks and Spencer’s Perth High Street store and stealing £230 worth of meal and alcohol on August 7.
He further pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards staff at Primark on August 12.
He told them: “When I come out of jail, I’ll come and find you. You don’t know what I’m capable of.”
Midnight raider
Solicitor Linda Clark said her client was serving a 30-month sentence.
“Last month, he was evicted from the homeless hostel and he had no accommodation available to him.
“He was living rough and was stealing to fund a drug and alcohol addiction.”
Jailing Strain for a further four months, Sheriff Gerard Sinclair told him: “There is no other disposal available, given your record.”
Last year, Strain – listed on court papers as “no fixed abode” – admitted breaking into M&S after closing time and plundering the alcohol aisle.
He was caught walking away with a trolley full of bottles.
The retail giant was left with a £1,300 repair bill.
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