A heroin addict told police he was strong-armed by drug lords into carrying out a £4,000 booze and cigarette raid on a Perth convenience store.
John Hayton used a hammer to smash his way into the Day Today branch on Dunkeld Road last week.
The 51-year-old and his accomplice made off with carrier bags filled with alcohol and tobacco products, as well as a till drawer containing nearly £700 cash.
They made their escape down a lane, behind Perth police station, before delivering the stolen goods to crooks.
Hayton was told the theft had only partially cleared his drug debt.
The serial offender appeared from custody at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted the early hours break-in on Friday, July 19.
Shopkeeper Usman Sultan told The Courier his store had been targeted three times before, “but this is the worst.”
Trail of stolen goods
Prosecutor Duncan McKenzie told the court: “The locus in this case is a small convenience store, on the outskirts of the city centre.
“At 9pm, staff finished their shift and locked up the store. At this time, the alarm system was activated.
“Around 4.30am, witnesses observed two males running away from the shop with items in carrier bags.
“They ran across Dunkeld Road into Rae Place.
“The witnesses could hear the alarm sounding at the shop and could see the glass front door had been smashed.”
Police were called to the store and carried out a search for the two men.
There was a trail of alcohol and cigarettes coming from the shop but no sign of the culprits.
A hammer was found on the ground outside.
“Further enquiries established that further items had been taken,” the fiscal depute said.
“The overall value was £4,092 and 72 pence.”
Mr McKenzie confirmed Hayton and his accomplice had snatched a till drawer, with more than £670 cash inside.
Forced to comply with druglords
Hayton was identified from CCTV and officers executed a search warrant at his Parmelia Court home on Monday.
“Mr Hayton was arrested and taken to divisional headquarters,” the fiscal depute said.
“He was interviewed, but declined access to a solicitor.”
Hayton then confessed all to police.
The fiscal depute said: “Mr Hayton said he had attended at the locus and smashed the front door with a hammer, which he had brought from his own house.
“He said he could not say how much he had stolen.
“The accused said he had walked down the lade-side, behind the police station, with the stolen items.
“Mr Hayton stated that he was forced to commit the crime by people to whom he owes a drug debt.
“They had attended at his home address and sent him along to break into the shop along with another male.
“The other men were waiting for them after the crime and took all of the stolen goods.
“He said he did not know where the items went, and he didn’t get to keep any of it.”
Hayton had been told the raid had only “partially” cleared his debt.
Jail was the only option
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said his client was progressing well on a drug treatment and testing order.
“He knows because of his record, there is really only one option for the court today,” he said.
“He had been ducking and diving from these males he owed money to for some time.”
Sheriff William Gilchrist told Hayton: “You have been before the courts often enough to know the consequences of this kind of behaviour.”
He sentenced him to eight months imprisonment.
Speaking to The Courier last week, Mr Sultan said: “They took all of our top-shelf expensive alcohol and just emptied the cigarette cabinet.
“It’s happened three times before, but this is the worst.”
He added: “As part of the council’s grand design for the area, they wanted all these shops to be the same so they didn’t want shutters on them.”
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