Thief stole shop till

A thief stole cigarettes and a till containing £1500 in cash from a Larkhall store during a Sunday morning raid.

Richard Hamilton, of Ness Gardens, had admitted a charge of breaking into the Smart Shop in Keir Hardie Road and stealing the items on August 7 last year.

Fiscal depute Vishnu Kathuria told Hamilton Sheriff Court last Thursday that shopowner Riaz Ali had locked the shop on the Saturday night everything had been in order.

However, the accused was caught on CCTV footage clambering over a wall and approaching the rear of the shop with another unknown male.

Hamilton was then seen turning the rear camera to face the ground. He lifted the rear shutter and gained access through wooden boards.

Once inside, he stole cigarettes worth £400. He also ripped the till from a desktop, stole the till, which Mr Kathuria said was worth £1170, and the £1500 and of cash inside. The fiscal depute said when Mr Ali looked at CCTV footage he recognised Hamilton as someone who had been visiting the store for around eight years. Mr Ali had described Hamilton as a friend to police officers.

Going through a fairly troubled time