An Aberdeen crack cocaine addict went on a drug-fuelled festive break-in spree when his parents didn’t want to see him for Christmas.
Derek Ellington smashed his way into four different takeaways and a cafe properties in between Christmas and New Year 2023.
The 37-year-old struck at Woodend Fast Food Takeaway, Crema Cafe, Greenfern Chinese and Fireaway Pizza and swiped cash from the tills.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the drug-addled thief left a trail of destruction as he forced entry to the locked businesses.
Fiscal depute Jane Spark said the first incident happened on Boxing Day at Woodend Fast Food Takeaway on Rousay Drive.
Around 9am that morning, it was noticed the shop, which had been shut since the evening of Christmas Eve, appeared to have been damaged.
Police were contacted and reviewed CCTV, which showed Ellington lifting up the metal shutter before walking away and returning moments later with a rock.
Ellington threw the rock at the bottom glass pane and followed up with a number of kicks, causing the glass to collapse.
He was then seen to go inside before crawling back out in possession of a metal cash drawer, which contained £100.
Blood stains left at scene of break-in
Next to be targeted by Ellington was Crema Cafe next door on Rousay Drive.
Staff returning to work around 7.30am on December 29 discovered the front door had been smashed off its frame since they had locked up the night before.
When police arrived they saw a rock next to the broken door and found that £160 in notes had been stolen from the till inside.
Crime scene examiners also noticed a blood stain on a piece of broken glass and a Nike Air Max trainer footprint.
Next up, Ellington struck at Greenfern Chinese on Greenfern Road.
An employee arriving at 1pm on December 30 noticed the upper glass panel on the front door had been smashed, leaving a large hole with glass shards both inside and outside.
The till drawer had been removed, emptied and thrown onto the floor. It had contained £120 in notes and a number of £1 coins.
Blood spots were seen on the countertop and a rock was lying on the floor.
Ellington’s final victim was Fireaway Pizza on Greenfern Road where, on Hogmanay, staff discovered a broken window and two bricks on the front step.
Police attended and discovered the cash register removed from the counter and opened, with coins scattered across the floor. £200 had been stolen from the till.
Two knives with blood stains on them were also found on the ground next to the register.
Blood was also found on the till, kitchen door handle and counter near the knife rack the blades had been taken from.
Ms Spark told the court: “CCTV was captured, which showed about 3.40am the accused attending and forcing open the roller shutter and crawling underneath.
Thief ‘didn’t care whether or not he was sent to prison’
“It thereafter showed the accused forcing open the cash register using two knives and stealing cash from within, before leaving locus the way he entered.”
Ellington, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to four charges of theft by housebreaking.
Defence agent Paul Barnett accepted: “He does have a poor record and certainly there are a large number of convictions for dishonesty.”
The solicitor explained his client came from a “difficult family background” and had a “strained” relationship with his parents.
Mr Barnett went on: “He explains he went completely off the rails over the Christmas period on realising his parents didn’t want to see him at the time.
“He felt isolated and alienated by his parents and sought solace in crack cocaine.
“The offences were all committed to fund his use of crack cocaine.”
Mr Barnett said Ellington had a mindset that he “didn’t care whether or not he was sent to prison” at the time.
Sheriff Andrew Miller jailed Ellington for 22 months, backdated to January 2 when he was remanded.
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