A Buckfast-swilling sneak-thief was caught red-handed in Foxbar after pinching items from a house.
Steven Johnstone, 38, swiped an e-reader and a purse from the living room of a house in Tantallon Drive, and stashed them in an orange plastic bag.
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Paisley Sheriff Court heard Johnstone was rumbled by the cops after a sharp-eyed neighbour clocked him skulking around outside a house and reported him on the morning of August 26, 2019.
Procurator fiscal depute Kirsten Brierley said: “A witness had been asleep at his home address in the area when he observed a male whom he believed to be acting suspiciously and he contacted police.
“He noticed this individual was heading the direction of Tantallon Drive.
“The witness was awaiting police around 30 minutes later when he noticed the same male to be carrying an orange carrier bag, which he did not have earlier.
“He was again seen heading to Tantallon Drive.
“Police attended and the orange bag was found lying in a garden area.
“It contained an e-reader and a purse.”
The court heard cops traced the owner of the items to a house in Tantallon Drive, where she confirmed the items belonged to her and she had left them lying in her living room.
Cops soon caught up with and arrested Johnstone, but he made no reply when charged.
On Thursday Johnstone, of Thrushcraig Crescent in Paisley, pleaded guilty to stealing an e-reader and a purse from a property in Tantallon Drive, Paisley.
Defence agent Paul Coyle said his client had “little or no recollection” of the incident as he had been drinking at that time.
He said: “What he remembers is he had been watching home videos with a former partner and had been drinking alcohol to excess - a bottle of Buckfast.
“Thereafter, he has little or no recollection of the incident, except there was alcohol in the bag he was carrying.”
Mr Coyle confirmed Johnstone, who is on benefits, was admitting responsibility for the thefts.
Sheriff Bruce Erroch told him: “I have heard that you have very little recollection because you were drunk at the time.
“However this happened and you did steal the items.”
He fined him £145.
