A thief who broke into two homes and stole wedding and engagement rings was caught after dropping his gloves.
Simon Winks, 41, a prisoner at Perth, was jailed for three years and four months at Dundee Sheriff Court after admitting two charges of theft by housebreaking.
Depute fiscal Charmaine Gilmartin told the court the occupant of a property on Muirfield Street locked her home at 8pm on April 11 when she went on holiday.
On April 15, a neighbour spotted the gate and back door were both open and informed the complainer.
The fiscal said: “A relative attended and saw items were strewn throughout the property.
“While they were waiting for police they saw the accused nearby, acting suspiciously. They took a photo of him and showed it to police.”
Scenes of crime officers searched the property and took a number of fingerprints.
Officers also found a pair of gloves in the property, which had Winks’ DNA on them.
Winks stole two wedding rings, two engagement rings, a laptop and bag, five memory sticks, a digital camera, and a mobile phone and charger from the property.
He then targeted a home on Kerrsview Terrace, on May 6, and stole jewellery including an eternity ring, two handbags, a purse, bank cards, two sets of keys, a mobile phone, an iPod, and £480 in cash.
Solicitor Ann Duffy said: “In March, he attended at his friend’s home and found him unconscious and had to resuscitate him but paramedics pronounced him dead.
“He then began to abuse street Valium.”
Winks admitted two charges of theft by housebreaking, at Muirfield Street and Kerrsview Terrace.
Sheriff Alistair Brown said: “I can understand the stress of finding your friend collapsed but it is not an uncommon thing and most people don’t react to that by breaking into houses.”
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.