Would- be thief was found carrying a knife

A would- be thief arrested after a worried householder contacted the police was found to be carrying a knife.

Andrew Holden, 28, was jailed for 20 months this week.

He admitted being found in James Campbell Street, Ayr, in suspicious circumstances on December 31.

Holden also admitted illegal possession of a kitchen knife. He appeared from prison via video link at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

Kim McGregor, prosecuting, said a female resident noticed Holden acting suspiciously near a car around 9am.

She watched him walk through a common close then saw the handle of her back door being turned.

Ms McGregor told the court: “A dog barked and this appeared to scare him away. The woman contacted her son who, in turn, called the police with a description of the accused. Officers attended and saw

Holden sitting on a doorstep in James Campbell Street. He was arrested and taken to the police station.

“At one point he lifted up his top and revealed a kitchen knife in the waistband of his trousers. He told officers he had found it in a garden.”

Holden’s solicitor said he remembered little about the events as he had been “stoating about under the influence”.

The dad of two admitted previous convictions and accepted that a prison sentence was inevitable. However, he had pleaded guilty to the charges at an early stage. Sheriff Desmond Leslie noted that Holden had been freed from prison early before committing the latest crimes.

He told the accused: “You were on licence and there was still some time before you were clear of that responsibility.”

The 20- month sentence was backdated to January 3 to take account of the time Holden had spent in custody awaiting the case.