A DRUG ADDICT thief who stole from a house in Perth as its owner lay ill in hospital was jailed for five months yesterday.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that Lee Gordon Mcelwee had been employed to do handyman work at a property in Perth’s Jeanfield Road on December 18.
He initially made his way to the wrong property but, on finding the house empty, quickly realised his error. Rather than simply leave, however, the 35-year-old made his way into the house in search of items to steal.
Fortunately for the absent owner, neighbours spotted Mcelwee acting suspiciously and contacted Tayside Police.
Officers arrived in time to catch him in the act and, although he fled upstairs to leap from an upper-floor window, he was quickly arrested.
Mcelwee, described as a prisoner at Perth, admitted stealing four watches and a purse containing £1.42.
“Had he left when it became clear that he was in the wrong house, then everything would have been OK,” solicitor John McLaughlin told the court.
“Sadly, he instead looked in a drawer and found the items.”
He added: “This is an offence my client bitterly regrets having committed. As a result of being remanded, he missed seeing his children over Christmas.”
He said his client had a problem with drugs, adding that his criminal record was “not impressive”.