A teenage nocturnal raider used his father’s hammer to cause £3000 worth of damage during an attempted break-in to iconic Forfar bakery Saddlers.
Lewis Angus repeatedly struck the front door of Saddlers Bakery on the town’s North Street – famous for its bridies – in a bid to break-in and steal.
The first offender returned to Forfar Sheriff Court to be sentenced after previously admitting the June 19 crime.
Confessed to police
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson explained a neighbour heard banging coming from the bakery at around midnight and went to investigate after he saw Angus leaving.
After seeing the damage, he confronted the 19-year-old, who walked away.
Police on mobile patrol caught up with the teenager at 2am and when he was searched, he said: “I hold my hands up, I confess I did it.”
Saddlers later reported the entire front door had to be replaced, costing £3,000.
Solicitor Nick Markowski said: “He accepts full responsibility.
“He was remorseful and embarrassed by his actions.
“He appears, at the time, to have developed substance misuse issues.
“These have now been addressed himself by abstinence.
“He seems to be under the influence. He’s taken his father’s hammer.
“It seems to have been fuelled by hazy thinking relating to substance misuse.
“Hopefully this is an aberration.”
Compensation regret
Sheriff Derek Reekie ordered Angus, of Victoria Street, Forfar, to complete 120 hours of unpaid work in six months.
He noted jobless Angus would be unable to pay compensation due to having no income.
The sheriff said: “I would like to compensate Saddlers but that’s not realistic.
“You’ve caused a significant amount of damage. I don’t think there’s anything realistically I can do about that.”
He went on:”Hopefully this has been a wake-up call.
“You’re rightly embarrassed.
“I’ve no idea what you thought might be in these premises but you obviously weren’t thinking very clearly.”
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