A couple woke up in the early hours of the morning to find a drunk man and his dog — inside their family home in Dundee.
The city’s sheriff court heard that John McKenzie was so heavily under the influence of alcohol that he wandered into the wrong property after finding his daughter’s lost dog in the early hours of September 5.
Fiscal depute Alan Kempton told the court the Broughty Ferry couple were asleep in their house when they were woken by their dog barking furiously.
They then went to investigate and found the accused in their hallway with a Staffordshire bull terrier.
Mr Kempton continued: “The man said he was unable to get out of the house and was unable to operate their garage door.”
He said the couple checked that their children were still asleep and when the accused had left the scene, they contacted the police.
McKenzie was traced at 1.30am and was found to be heavily under the influence.
The fiscal added that the 48-year- old was also found in possession of 13.9 grams of cannabis resin, worth £25.
Solicitor Michael Sweeney told the court McKenzie had been visiting his daughter, who lived a few doors away from the complainers.
The lawyer said they had been out walking the dog when it ran off.
He said they split up to look for it and McKenzie found it and entered the complainer’s house — thinking it was his daughter’s due to him being extremely drunk.
Mr Sweeney said McKenzie accepted his presence in the family’s home with the dog would have caused them fear and alarm.
McKenzie, of Broad Street, Cowdenbeath, admitted that he was found in a Camphill Road home on September 5 in circumstances whereby it might be inferred he intended to commit theft.
He also admitted possessing cannabis resin on the same street.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael placed McKenzie on a restriction of liberty order for four months, which requires him to be in his home between the hours of 7pm and 7am.
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