A teenage housebreaker who stole more than £2,000 worth of property from an Aberdeen home has been locked up for a year.
Jamie Davidson broke into a home in the city’s west end and stole a high-end television and a laptop as well as a number of razor blades.
The 19-year-old caused severe damage to the home on Morningfield Mews and left a window open, potentially allowing other thieves to enter, on September 11, 2014.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday heard that the homeowner had been away at a conference on September 7 and only discovered that much of his property had been stolen, moved, damaged or destroyed when he returned.
Davidson, of Flat D, 66 Seaforth Road, previously pleaded guilty to stealing the £1,000 Samsung television and £1,000 laptop.
When he left the property he left the window “wide open” – a tempting target for other would-be robbers.
Yesterday the court heard the teenager had been trying to “grow up” since the time of the offence.
But sentencing Davidson yesterday, Sheriff Annella Cowan, said the young man was already gaining a reputation and on the day in question was “having problems behaving like a normal member of society”.
She added that he had caused damage and destruction to the property as well as leaving the property unsecure after his visit.
She said: “Housebreaking is not common but it is a despicable crime.”