A one-armed man who broke through two locked gates at an Inverness community garden group and stole a pick-up and trailer containing tools and powersaws was jailed for two years at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.
Alexander Mulroy, 31, who lost his left arm in a car accident several years ago, then crashed the stolen 4X4 vehicle.
And the first person on the scene on the A862 between Inverness and Beauly was an off-duty British Transport police officer.
Mulroy, who was described as an Inverness prisoner, appeared from custody for sentence after admitting breaking through the two locked security gates at the Hawthorn Project on July 15 this year and stealing the truck and tools.
He also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and with an expired provisional driving licence.
Defence agent Marc Dickson said his client had a long-standing problem with drug addiction but now had the motivation to tackle it.
However Sheriff Margaret Neilson noted that Mulroy had already been placed on a drug treatment and testing order and had broken one of the conditions not to re-offend.
She told him: “You have an appalling record of previous convictions. These are serious offences committed when the court put you in a position of trust by placing you on a drug treatment and testing order.”
Mulroy said: “Thanks” as he was led away by security guards.
The Hawthorn Project is a community allotment project based in the Dalneigh area of Inverness.
The pick-up was used for maintenance jobs around Inverness and had been secured by its regular driver earlier in the evening.
Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart told the court at an earlier hearing that the development is surrounded by a high-security fence with two locked gates.
A car jack had been used to lift the outer gate off its hinges, while a metal chain had been cut to force access through the inner gate.
A local resident reported hearing a loud bang at around 12.30am, before seeing the pick-up truck driving away.
About 30 minutes later an off-duty British Transport Police officer discovered the vehicle off the road on the A862 close to Lentran.
Mr Urquhart said: “Initially the accused told officers that he had been a passenger in the vehicle but a police dog handler was brought in and found that nobody else had been there.”
He told police: “I owed people money. My family was in danger if I didn’t do it.”