A man stole more than £11,000 worth of goods and cash by breaking into shops on Nairn’s High Street.

Thomas Hannah targeted Semichem and The Phone Store, smashing glass panels in the doors to gain entry.

He made off with cash and goods – some of which were found at his home when it was searched by police.

Hannah, 46, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit breaking into the shops and stealing from them.

Fiscal depute Emily Hood told the court that the first break-in took place on August 13 of last year.

Officers attended and found damage to a pane of glass in the door of the shop’s High Street entrance with goods, including vapes, strewn on the footpath.

A staff member confirmed that vaping products, tobacco products, fragrances and make-up were missing.

Thief loaded up carrier backs with loot

Two tills inside the shop had been forced and the cash inserts containing more than £200 were missing.

A beanie hat and wheel brace were found at the scene and tested for DNA.

Police were then contacted by a witness who said that at around 3.30am he had seen a man on a bike with a number of carrier bags.

The man had disposed of one carrier bag and the witness found it to contain a large quantity of tobacco, makeup and fragrance products.

A subsequent stock check at the store confirmed the total value of the loss to the business to be £6,429.

Police viewed CCTV and identified Hannah on the footage attempting to force open the door to the property before smashing the glass door with a crowbar.

He was seen to enter the shop and then leave with “full-up” carrier bags.

Then on March 29 of this year, officers were dispatched to reports of a possible break-in at The Phone Store on the same street.

They arrived to find a glass panel in the front door broken and contacted the owner, who confirmed that cash worth £750 was missing, along with around £5,000 worth of vapes and some holdalls.

Stolen items found in home

Ms Hood said: “CCTV showed a male appearing to strike the door with his leg […] before entering and exiting around 40 minutes later in possession of two holdalls and a bag for life.

“The male on the footage was identified as the accused.”

The court heard that when a search warrant was carried out at Hannah’s home “a number of vapes and phone items were found”  and were later identified as coming from The Phone Store.

Solicitor Clare Russell, for Hannah, highlighted that a number of the items taken had subsequently been recovered and requested that the court seek a recovery value before sentencing.

She said: “These offences took place in a background of substance abuse.”

Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald was told that Hannah had since been placed on a drug treatment and testing order (DTTO) and was now participating in a residential rehabilitation plan.

Sheriff says crime could merit jail

Sheriff MacDonald told Hannah, of Elizabeth Street, Nairn, “You have just pled guilty to two very serious charges amounting to in excess of £10,000 of other people’s items that you have taken.

“These are very serious and could quite easily merit a jail sentence.

“The only thing that is going to keep you out of jail is you getting on with your DTTO and complying with everything that is asked of you at Beechwood House.”

The case will call again next month for sentencing.