A rampant thief was snared for a break-in at a Dundee restaurant after his DNA was found on a tyre iron.
Christopher Sinclair, 36, was in the grips of a pernicious drug addiction when he targeted Babujee on Perth Road, before turning his attention to a barber shop in the same area.
Sinclair was placed on a structured deferred sentence last year but was remanded four days before Christmas after stealing de-icer and air freshener from a car.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how a Babujee staff member attended the premises in the early hours of the morning and discovered the till drawer had been forced open.
Prosecutor Alan Bell said: “£80 in cash was missing, along with a Samsung tablet from the bar and two bottles of gin.”
The items had a total value of £420.
Mr Bell added: “There was also damage to the safe in the bar area.
“This appeared to be caused by a tool of some sort.
“Police were contacted and a CCTV review was carried out.”
Officers discovered a tyre iron and following a forensic examination, Sinclair’s DNA was detected.
Sinclair, of Dunholm Road, admitted breaking into Babujee on April 23 and Benjamin Barker on May 18, with the intent to steal.
He entered an unlocked car on December 21 on Temple Lane to steal the de-icer and air freshener.
Sinclair returned to the dock after a social work report was prepared in custody.
Solicitor Anika Jethwa said: “The report makes poor reading.
“He was associating with family members with drug problems and he’s been quite candid about his level of drug misuse as well as issues with his tenancy.
“His father died on December 23 and he missed the funeral.
“It’s entrenched behaviour. It’s family-wide and is going to take a great deal of time and effort to resolve these problems.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Sinclair for 10 months.
He said: “You have repeatedly refused to fully cooperate with all efforts the court and criminal justice team have made to help you.
“You continue to use drugs and they impact badly on your behaviour.
“There’s no reasonable alternative to a custodial sentence.”
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