A bungling burglar — who broke into a house for a £10 reward — dropped a TV out of a window before falling on top of it.
Drunken Joseph Quinn was caught red handed hanging out of a window while holding the flatscreen telly, Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard last week.
The 33-year-old broke into the council flat on Davidson Road in Alexandria after being told there was a tenner in it for him.
Sarah Healing, fiscal depute, said police turned up to the house at around 6pm on June 15 following concerned reports.
She said: “They observed the accused hanging out of an open window holding a black flatscreen television.
“He was distracted by the arrival of the police and dropped the television out of the window before falling out of the window on top of the TV, damaging the screen.
“He told police ‘That’s my mate Yvonne’s house. I was just checking if it was okay’.
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“Police observed leaning against the window a further TV and a red and white power cleaner.
“The accused was noted to be heavily intoxicated and was slurring his words.
“No persons by the name of Yvonne resided there.”
Quinn was arrested and pleaded guilty to breaking into the flat and stealing two TVs and a power cleaner when he appeared in the dock last week.
Brian MacGuire, defending, said his client was already locked up for another offence, with an earliest release date of January next year.
He said: “He knows full well that the inevitable consequence is that a custodial sentence will be imposed on him.
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“There’s been a long standing addiction problem here principally in relation to drugs but there’s also been a difficulty with alcohol.
“He received two custodial sentences of six months and 50 days and his earliest release date is January 20.
“In relation to the offence he was considerably intoxicated. He tells me his recollection is a person suggested to him that if he went to that house and removed the TVs there would be £10 in it for him.”
Sheriff William Gallacher said Quinn had racked up so many crimes of dishonesty, there were “too many to count”.
He told him: “You have utter disregard for anybody else’s property.”
Quinn, whose address was given in court as HMP Barlinne, was sentenced to a total of 17 months which will run consecutively to his current sentence.
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