A serial thief was caught red-handed after breaking into FIVE houses on a single Aberdeen street, stealing jewellery and electronics worth thousands.
Robert Brechin targeted properties on North Anderson Drive all within the space of a month.
The prolific thief’s crude modus operandi saw him brazenly smash windows before clambering inside.
But thanks to one eagle-eyed witness, the 41-year-old was eventually caught in the act and with his pockets laden with loot.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the first incident happened while the resident of the property was out between 4.15pm and 7.15pm on January 8.
Ms Simpson said: “He returned and discovered a rear window had been smashed and entry had been gained through same.
“Multiple drawers within the locus had been opened and rummaged through.
‘He’s clearly disgusted with himself’
“A Citizen watch, a silver bracelet and three 1 litre bottles of Captain Morgan were missing.”
Police were contacted and CCTV showed Brechin approaching the window at 4.35pm, throwing a rock through it, climbing inside and then leaving four minutes later.
The stolen property was valued at £745 while the window also cost £200 to repair.
At around the same time, the neighbour at another home on North Anderson Drive heard a loud banging and crashing noise coming from next door.
The neighbour hurried outside to see what had happened and found the bathroom window smashed and a large stone lying next to it.
A number of lights inside the property had also been turned on.
The police were contacted.
The occupant was later able to confirm a £200 laptop had been stolen.
Brechin’s DNA was discovered on the inside bedroom window handle.
The next day, between 8.45am and 2.55pm, Brechin struck at another property on North Anderson Drive, forcing open a bathroom window.
A handbag, containing two purses with bank cards and sentimental photos, was stolen.
After a couple of weeks later, on January 25, Brechin returned to North Anderson Drive and struck at a fourth address.
Again his less-than-subtle technique was to smash a bathroom window and climb inside.
This time, he helped himself to £1,000 worth of gold rings, earrings and a Pandora charm bracelet.
Brechin’s fifth target on the same street came the following day around 12.50pm.
A witness heard a “loud smash” and saw Brechin climbing into the home through the bathroom window.
Police were contacted and raced to the scene, catching Brechin red-handed in an upstairs bedroom.
He was searched and found in possession of a black and gold Hublot watch and a gold ring belonging to the householder.
‘In debt and addicted’
Brechin, whose address was given as HMP Perth, pled guilty to five charges of theft by housebreaking.
Defence agent Andrew Ormiston said: “He’s clearly disgusted with himself and that’s echoed in the social work report.
“He also recognises the huge impact his offending will have had on the occupants of these properties.”
Mr Ormiston continued: “The trigger for this recent bout of offending regrettably was illness befalling his partner, who suffered a stroke.
“His partner was hospitalised for a significant period of time and he reverted to old behaviour.”
The solicitor explained Brechin returned to drug use and found himself “in debt and addicted”, having been “sucked back into a negative way of life”.
Sheriff Ian Wallace, taking account of Brechin having served the equivalent of almost a year’s prison sentence while on remand, imposed a community order as a direct alternative to custody.
He imposed two years of supervision, 200 hours of unpaid work and a 10-month curfew, prompting tears of relief from family members in the public gallery.
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