A drunken north-east lout was caught red-handed by police inside a north-east bakery following a spree of break-ins and break-in bids.
Brian Regan left his blood on the till and safe at JG Ross bakery in Stonehaven, and also targeted a pub, an off-licence, a newsagent, and even a residential property during the late-night escapade.
The 33-year-old was caught red-handed by cops while inside the bakery, but was also seen on CCTV and by witnesses throughout the night, and was linked to the crimes through DNA evidence.
Fiscal depute Katy Begg told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At about 11.45pm on Friday July 31 a witness was within his back garden when he heard a commotion followed by the sound of shattering glass.
“He went to investigate the noise and attended at the rear of the Best One shop (on King’s Road). He saw the accused knocking on what was left of the glass and confronted him.
“The accused repeatedly apologised before leaving the locus quickly. The witness then phoned the police.
“Police attended at the locus and saw the damage to the window as well as various cans of juice scattered on the ground.
“They recovered a glass shard and rock, both of which had apparent blood staining on them.
“Subsequent DNA analysis of the rock provided a positive match to the accused.”
In the early hours of August 1 the owner of Fountainhall Wines, on Market Square, who lives nearby, was woken by “banging from the street outside his home”.
Ms Begg said: “He then heard the communal door opening, followed by the handle to the door of his property. The witness heard a bottle being dropped in the hallway and the sound of someone bashing into the door.
“On attending at the door he could see that the letterbox had been opened and a light was being shone inside. He started banging on his side of the door to scare off the accused who then left.
“The witness went downstairs to Fountainhall Wines to check the CCTV which captured the accused outside the shop pulling forcefully on the glass doors and punching the glass in an effort to break it.
“He then picked up a bottle of beer from the ground before he entered the close.”
Around 2am the same day another witness locked and secured Troupers Bar on Barclay Street in the town.
Ms Begg said: “As she was walking away from the bar she looked back and saw the accused approach the main entrance. She recognised the accused from an encounter earlier the same morning.
“She watched the accused as he repeatedly kicked the door. Concerned at what he may do, she ran off towards the police station to report the matter.
“There was no damage to the door.”
Around the same time, another witness who lives above JG Ross bakery on Barclay Street, was woken by loud banging “as if someone was kicking at a door” and phoned police.
Ms Begg said: “Police officers attended at JG Ross where they observed that the glass panelling on the front door was smashed and the accused was within the premises.
“He was instructed to come out of the premises, which he did.
“As the accused was arrested it was noted that he had abrasions to his hands which were bleeding.
“The general manager at JG Ross later attended and walked through the locus with scenes of crime officers to ascertain if anything was missing.
“She could not see that anything was missing but described various blood staining throughout the shop, including on the till and the handle of the safe.”
Regan, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to theft by housebreaking, housebreaking with intent to steal, two charges of attempted housebreaking with intent to steal, and also being found in the curtilage of a property in circumstances that it could be inferred he intended to commit theft.
He further admitted failing to comply with a curfew bail condition.
Defence agent Lynn Bentley told the court: “Mr Regan suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder that follows on from a serious assault on him in 2012 which involved him being stabbed and slashed across the face.”
Ms Bentley said he was now prescribed anti-psychotic medication as well as strong pain killers.
She added: “Mr Regan has developed an inability to cope, on occasion, with stress or changes in his lifestyle.”
The solicitor explained her client had “hit the buffers” following a falling out with his partner.
She said: “He starts to drink. He goes out and this course of criminality takes place within a very short period of time when he’s obviously fairly heavily under the influence of alcohol.
“He’s caught on CCTV going around Stonehaven committing these various crimes in an area where he’s known.
“He’s apologetic for his behaviour.”
Sheriff Graeme Napier ordered Regan to be jailed for 213 days, plus a further 120 days relating to an unexpired portion of a previous sentence.
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