Christopher Murray and Daniel Gordon fled the scene in the home owners’ car, dumping it on a quiet country road before knocking on a nearby resident’s door and asking her to phone for a taxi.

Last week the pair appeared for sentencing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court after admitting breaking into the property in Bearsden on August 1, and stealing a key, laptop, a computer and a watch.

Gordon, of Watchmeal Crescent, also pleaded guilty to stealing the getaway car, a red Peugeot 107.

Sarah Healing, fiscal depute, told the court the owners of the property on Antonine Road, Bearsden, left at 4.30pm on August 1 to go away for the weekend, leaving a key with a family friend to keep an eye on the home and the cats.

She continued: “At 9.30am on August 2, the family friend attended at the property and observed that the back gate was lying open.

“He also discovered that the side door to the garage was open. This struck the family friend as being unusual.” The friend then noticed the front door was ajar and, believing the home had been broken into, he contacted the householders. It was then discovered that several items from the home and a car were missing. Ms Healing told the court that shortly beforehand, the red Peugeot 107 had been found abandoned near Fintry, north of Glasgow.

She continued: “At eight in the morning on August 2 the householder of a property in Kippen heard a knock at the front door.

“When she answered her door she noticed the two accused were on her doorstep.” Murray, whose address was given as Polmont Brightons, claimed he had been fishing and asked the woman to call him a cab. It was heard the 18-year-old and Gordon appeared to be under the influence of drink or drugs.

At the same time, police officers were driving past after spotting the abandoned motor and stopped outside the property. Noticing the pair appeared to be under the influence of alochol they were searched and Gordon, 24, was found with an Apple laptop down the front of his trousers. Murray was carrying a jewellery box with earrings in a pocket in his hooded top.

After being detained, Gordon was also found to have a silver wrist watch. All of the items were later identified as having come from the home in Bearsden.

Ms Healing said the victims returned to check their home and saw a camera also appeared to be missing. This was not recovered — but the couple’s ordeal did not end there.

She told the court that the woman resident was checking the bedroom and discovered “a knife had been taken from the kitchen and placed on the pillow on the bed.

“Neither she nor her husband had left the knife there and this caused her significant stress,” said Ms Healing.

The court heard that when Murray and Gordon were interviewed by police, their stories did not stack up.

Ms Healing said of Gordon: “He did not have an explanation as to how he came to be walking and chapping on doors at that time.

“He went on to state that he had found the laptop computer next to a ‘wee red motor’ which had been parked at the side of the road.” After giving differing accounts of travelling in a taxi, each accused then claimed the other had collected them in the red car which, it was heard, had to be written off.

Defending Murray, Roddy Boag said his client had taken responsibility for what he had done but his memory of the incident was hazy because of drug taking. Gordon’s defence lawyer said his client was in a stable relationship and had a young daughter.

Sheriff Simon Pender sentenced Murray to 14 months detention, backdated to August 4, while Gordon was jailed for 12 months.