Housebreaker awaits his fate

Court told of substance problems

An Uddingston man with drink and drug problems broke into an unoccupied house and stole a plastic laptop computer.

Mark Muirhead, of Meadowbank Lane, Knowehead, had last month admitted a charge of breaking into an unoccupied Miller Homes house in East Kilbride on March 10 last year and stealing the item.

However, the 22-year-old’s not guilty plea to a charge of possessing cocaine there on the same date was accepted by the Crown.

His agent Jim O’dowd asked Sheriff Marie Smart to consider deferring sentence on Muirhead.

He pointed out that 160 hours’ unpaid work was still open to Muirhead who currently had a job in Bothwell.

The lawyer pointed out that the house in East Kilbride’s Springfield Place had been unoccupied, but that didn’t lessen the seriousness of the offence.

Mr O’dowd said drugs and alcohol had been “a major problem” in Muirhead’s life which are currently being addressed.

He said: “A significant change has been made to his lifestyle.”

Muirhead had a good relationship with his mother, he pointed out, adding: “It’s important for all concerned that he’s out working.”

Muirhead, whose previous convictions include theft by housebreaking, was also carrying out a term of unpaid work at the moment, the solicitor pointed out.

Sheriff Smart told Muirhead that she was prepared to defer sentence for six months, for Muirhead to complete a term of unpaid work previously imposed on another matter, and for him to be of good behaviour and a community payback order progress report.

She said she was prepared to consider further hours of unpaid work rather than a custodial sentence.

Bail was revoked and Muirhead was ordered to appear on June 7 next year.