A boozy thief broke into a caravan, ransacked it and then fell asleep inside after missing his bus home.
Graham Milne had been out drinking with family to mark what would have been the birthday of his brother, who had passed away earlier that year.
But Milne became intoxicated and became separated from his family then missed his bus home.
The 34-year-old smashed his way into a shed and two caravans at Stonehaven recreation grounds before falling asleep in one.
And when the owners woke him up the next morning, he climbed out a broken window and tried to run away.
Fiscal depute Carol Gammie told Aberdeen Sheriff Court said the incidents happened just after 11pm on November 24 2022 when Milne was seen on CCTV approaching the caravan park.
Caravan left ‘in a state of disarray’
At 8am the following morning, a trustee of the recreation ground was carrying out routine checks when he noticed a window smashed on one of the caravans, with glass strewn across the patio.
The owners were contacted and arrived just before 10am and noticed the doors to a shed outside their caravan were open, with the lock broken and several items lying on the grass.
Ms Gammie said: “One of the caravan’s owners opened the locked front door
of the caravan and entered with his partner.
“They saw that the caravan was not how they had left it – items were strewn around and furniture was overturned.
“They continued into the second bedroom where they found the accused, asleep in one of the single beds there.”
Police were contacted.
But before they arrive, Milne clambered out of the broken window and tried to run away.
He was stopped by members of the public who waited with him until officers arrived.
When officers did arrive and cautioned Milne, he stated: “I got drunk and I missed the bus.”
The caravan owner told him: “You’ve destroyed my caravan.”
Milne said he was “sorry”, adding: “I feel bad for the boy.”
Milne was taken to Kittybrewster station and officers seized a black duffle bag from the scene, containing garden shears and two saws stolen from the shed.
The caravan owner confirmed they were his.
A Matalan bag was also seized containing a handbag, perfumes, make-up and a purse, a watch box, various items of gold and silver jewellery, a torch, a phone charger, an iPod, a pearl pendant, gloves and a wallet.
The caravan owner’s partner confirmed these items were hers and were taken from the caravan.
Milne’s DNA were found on the garden shears.
‘He’s got a record of dishonesty offences’
While at the site, police officers noticed a broken side window on another caravan and muddy bootprints on a storage container below the window.
The elderly owners were contacted and arrived to find Milne had entered their caravan and left it “in a state of disarray”, although no items were stolen.
Milne, of HMP Glenochil, pled guilty to forcing open a locked caravan and shed and stealing items from inside.
He also admitted forcing open a second locked caravan with intent to steal, and breaching a bail curfew by sleeping in the first caravan.
Defence agent Lynn Bentley said: “He’s got a record of dishonesty offences, for the most part, explained by an addiction to drugs.”
Ms Bentley said her client had been making progress until suffering a bereavement in mid-2022 when his brother passed away.
Accused planning to go to residential rehab
Milne struggled to cope with the death and, on the date of the offences, had been out with other family members to mark what would have been his brother’s birthday.
Ms Bentley said: “The family had been out for some drinks to mark the occasion.
“Mr Milne became intoxicated and lost contact with his family.
“He missed the bus home from Stonehaven to Inverbervie.”
The solicitor said Milne had initially been looking for somewhere to stay as he had had a relative that lived on the caravan site.
She added he was now on an opiate blocker while in prison and planned to move to residential rehab on his release.
Sheriff Philip Mann ordered Milne to be jailed for 22 months consecutive to his current sentence.
He deferred sentence on the bail breach until September 2024 to see if a supervision order would be appropriate at that stage.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
