Serial thief jailed 'to protect public'

Published 10 Feb 2010 13:00

A serial burglar broke into people's houses and stole thousands of pounds worth of items.

Marc Lindsay, 30, has a record of house breaking stretching back 10 years and was only released from a previous four-year jail sentence at the end of 2008.

But in November last year, he returned to his old ways and embarked on a series of thefts, Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday.

He got in to four houses by either smashing windows or doors.

On November 20 last year Lindsay broke into a house in Cambridge Avenue, Drumry, and stole £1,330 of items including four games, a camera and a holdall.

Then, four days later he struck at a house in Melfort Avenue, Drumry, and stole £1,007 worth of jewellery and electrical items.

On December 9 he broke in to two houses, one in Riddell Street, Drumry, and one in Duntocher Road, Parkhall, where, in total, he stole more than £4,500 worth of jewellery, binoculars, confectionary and electrical items.

He also stole around £15 worth of Venezuelan currency from the Parkhall home.

Lynne Jamieson, fiscal depute, told the court that about 1pm that day Lindsay went to a jewellers in Clydebank and pawned some rings, earrings and a pendant.

Then on December 11 he pawned a silver ring and a silver bangle. These items were later identified as belonging to the victims he had raided on December 9.

On December 12 police searched Lindsay's home and found the rest of the stolen items hidden in various places around the house.

While the police were searching he claimed the items were his.

But he later decided to come clean and pled guilty to carrying out all four house breakings.

Defending, Lindsay's lawyer said his client had previously had a drug problem but had been clean for nine months after leaving prison.

However, his partner losing a baby had caused him to return to his addiction, and the lawyer said the motivation for the crimes was to fuel a drug habit.

He also added that Lindsay had entered his guilty plea at an early stage.

Sheriff Simon Fraser told the accused: "You have been breaking in to people's houses now for well over ten years.

"Past sentences, including sentences designed to reform you through probation, simply seem to have had no effect. I'm going to lock you up, not to try and reform you - you're beyond that - but simply to protect the public."

He sentenced Lindsay, whose address was given as Greenock Prison, to four-and-a-half years in jail backdated to December 14 last year.

Tweet

This article appeared in Clydebank Post 10 Feb 10

Follow @clydebankpost

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.