A notorious Fife thief was caught housebreaking yet again after leaving fingerprints on a window frame, a court has heard.
Scott Paterson, 34, climbed through a kitchen window that had been left slightly ajar in Ballingry’s Navitie Park on October 3, 2019, and stole hundreds of pounds worth of jewellery that had been sitting on a bedside table.
Experts were then able to use DNA and fingerprints found around the window to trace the crime back to Paterson, who was subsequently arrested.
Paterson, whose address was given as Balbirnie Rise, Markinch, admitted the break-in during a personal appearance at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court before Sheriff James Williamson, who deferred sentence on him for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report.
The opportunistic thief, who was jailed back in 2017 for drug dealing and breaking into a police officer’s home, came to court with a bag of belongings in case he was put back behind bars, but the sheriff stopped short on this occasion after hearing Paterson was making efforts to turn his life around.
Fiscal Ronnie Hay told the court the property’s occupants had both left during the day, and a neighbour spotted Paterson banging on a door with his shoulder shortly before 1pm.
He disappeared from view and was seen again at around 1.40pm before leaving the area.
When a man living at the address returned home at around 2.50pm, the neighbour told him what she had seen and, upon investigating further, the man saw ladders had been positioned against the window.
Mr Hay revealed that a bangle worth around £350, a watch worth around £150 and a ring worth £100 had all been taken from a bedside table.
Experts were brought in and saw a large hand print on the window ledge, as well as DNA on a black padlock and fingerprints on a column of the window frame.
Those were tested and provided a match with Paterson’s.
Defence solicitor Christine Hagan said her client had struggled with significant issues with Valium and heroin and said this crime had been committed not only under influence but also with the intention of making money to get more drugs.
“It’s something which he is ashamed of,” Ms Hagan added.
However, Ms Hagan said he was now drug free, taking steps to engage with drug addiction counsellors, and had done his best to stay away from “negative peers” as of late.
Sheriff Williamson deferred sentence until December 8 for the preparation of various reports.
