Jail for man who broke into home and stole woman’s underwear

A Fife man, who climbed into the home of a young woman and stole her underwear, has been jailed for 18 months.

Kieran Watson, 21, of Lismore Avenue, Kirkcaldy, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He previously admitted that on December 22 he broke into a house in Winifred Crescent, Kirkcaldy, and stole clothing and underwear.

Depute fiscal Kyrsten Buist told the court: “The victim was at home at the time of the offence. In the early hours of the morning, she was in another room when she heard a clicking noise. She thought it was someone trying to open her bedroom window.

“She went into the room and found the window open. There was blood on the bed and the window ledge.”

She noticed a bag of clothes and underwear which she had been planning to take for recycling was missing. A ladder had been moved from its storage area and was up against the wall next to the window.

Police carried out tests on the blood and it was matched with Watson’s.

He initially claimed he had been working at the time and later told police: “I don’t remember doing it.”

Defence solicitor Lee Qumsieh asked for his client to remain in the community, but Sheriff Charles MacNair told Watson he had broken into an occupied house, having completed a community payback order for similar offending.

“People are entitled to feel secure in their property and the impact of having their intimate clothing rummaged through by a stranger is something they are entitled to be protected from,” he said.