Man burst through ceilings to rob flats

A THIEF who broke in through the roofspace of two city flats during Mission:Impossible style raids has been jailed.

Lewis Reid, 49, burst through the ceilings of the top floor properties before making off with goods worth thousands of pounds last December.

On one occasion, the crook was seen struggling with a bag of items he’d nicked from a flat on Albert Street.

A resident from the block helped Reid carry the stolen property – but later called the police after becoming suspicious about his behaviour.

Reid was jailed at Dundee Sheriff Court after pleading guilty.

During the first break-in on Albert Street, the flat was secured by the resident who had left for the evening.

Later a neighbour, when leaving his property, noticed a bag of goods in the landing before seeing Reid struggling to carry other items.

The resident thought Reid lived in the block and offered his assistance.

Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin said: “The neighbour reminded the accused he had left the belongings in the landing. The accused said he did not have a key and asked if he would allow him access to the block.

“The neighbour allowed him access but became more suspicious. The neighbour tried to engage him in conversation but the accused quickly took hold of items and said he would flag down a taxi to Fintry. The neighbour took a photo of the accused who repeatedly dropped items.”

Police were contacted and officers entered the flat after the door was found to be unlocked. Damage to the ceiling was noted and concluded as the point of entry.

Two days later, Reid would repeat his raid, this time on Crichton Street. The occupier had left at 5.30pm but returned at 7.45pm and noticed the door was unlocked with plaster and dust in the corridor.

Several items were stolen and a slater who attended a few days after discovered a pair of trainers tied together that belonged to the occupier on the roof. CCTV footage showed Reid carrying the trainers.

Mrs Gilmartin told the court Reid made off with goods totalling more than £4,100.

Reid, a prisoner of HMP Perth, pleaded guilty to breaking into a flat on Albert Street and stealing five game consoles, computer games, a speaker, a bag with keys, power leads, three guitars and two laptops on December 7.

On December 9 on Crichton Street, he broke into a flat and stole two game consoles, two controllers, two televisions, a laptop, an iPad, DVDs, a hair dryer and hair straighteners.

Theo Finlay, defending, said that following his release from prison in 2016, Reid had managed to sustain a crime-free lifestyle and was working in site clearance and the scrap metal trade. However, he said Reid started taking drugs last year and returned to crime as a way of feeding his habit.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael sentenced Reid to a total of 27 months.