A woman used a pan and a beer keg to smash her way into the local pub so she could steal bottles of booze.
Jill Wiggins spent around half an hour using objects she found lying around the back of the Three Lums pub in Sheddocksley to try to smash a window to get inside.
The 42-year-old was caught on CCTV carrying out the early-morning booze raid, but was long gone by the time officers arrived at the scene.
However, Wiggins – who also goes by the surname Smith or Knox – was quickly caught after calling 999 herself later just hours later to request assistance.
Officers immediately recognised her from the Lewis Road pub’s CCTV and found the stolen alcohol at her address.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court police were alerted to the bar’s alarm being activated at 3.20am on May 21.
Wiggins was recognised after dialling 999 herself
Several units attended to investigate and found a window at the side of the building smashed but nobody inside.
Ms Simpson said: “CCTV was checked and that showed the accused approaching the locus on foot before attempting to smash the window using a keg, a metal pole and a pan.
“These appeared to be items the accused found at the rear of the property.”
Wiggins was eventually successful and left the scene carrying several bottles of alcohol, including Jack Daniel’s and Captain Morgan Spiced Rum.
Ms Simpson went on: “At 4.50am, police received a 999 call from the accused whereby she intimated she required assistance at her address.”
Officers attended and recognised Wiggins from the CCTV footage and discovered bottles of booze in her cupboard.
Wiggins then admitted to officers she had broken into the Three Lums and stolen the bottles.
Wiggins, of Taransay Crescent, Aberdeen, pled guilty to a charge of theft by housebreaking.
‘She was quite a hard worker, I’ll have to give her that’
Defence agent Liam Mcallister said: “When cautioned and charged, my client response to that was ‘I did do it. I was under valium at the time which isn’t an excuse but I’m truly sorry for my actions’.”
The solicitor explained Wiggins lived just yards away from the pub and had been eight years sober until “very, very recently”.
He said she recognised that she had a relapse and a blip in her recovery, and had not had alcohol since the incident.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan said: “This is pretty desperate behaviour, to do this in the middle of the night.”
He deferred sentence until next month for reports.
Following the court hearing, David MacLean, who owns the Three Lums, said: “It took about half an hour to get through the window. She was quite a hard worker, I’ll have to give her that.”
He said the bottles taken had already been half-drunk, adding: “It was very, very strange.”