Prison for drunk who broke into a student’s flat

Sozzled intruder forgot where he lived

A Fallin man who got so drunk he forgot where he lived was jailed for five months on Monday after breaking into a student’s flat.

George Russell (54) became “discombobulated” after downing booze and pills and entered a close in Cowane Street, Stirling, instead of his own address in Fallin, three-anda-half miles away.

He was buzzed through the security entry by another resident and broke the lock on the student’s flat with his walking stick before “bursting in” at about 4.30pm on January 18, 2018, as the occupier was revising.

Stirling Sheriff Court was told that the 23-year-old student heard “banging” on the front door which lasted five to 10 seconds before Russell suddenly appeared in her living room.

She asked Russell: “Can I do anything for you? Can I help you?” but Russell just walked past her, holding his walking stick and turning into her bedroom, where she could see him standing at the side of her bed.

Prosecutor Claire Rowan said: “He then squatted on the floor and remained there for a couple of minutes.”

Miss Rowan said his actions “frightened” the young woman, but she told police that at no point did she think Russell was there to “do anything or take anything” and had simply mistaken her house for his own while in a state of intoxication.

She went to a neighbour and after a while saw Russell leave.

He was identified from CCTV and arrested later.

Miss Rowan concluded: “He burst into the young lady’s house but he didn’t say anything or really do anything whilst he was there.”

The Yale lock was damaged and had to be repaired.

Russell, of Polmaise Crescent, Fallin, admitted causing fear and alarm.

Stephen Maguire, defending, said Russell had previously lived in four different flats in Cowane Street, Stirling, where the incident occurred on January 18 this year and had simply “forgotten” he had moved out of town.

Mr Maguire said: “He was in a state of self-induced intoxication. After taking some kind of cocktail of alcohol and drugs he became so discombobulated that he entered this close thinking he was returning home. He is mortified.”

Imposing the five-month jail term, Sheriff William Gilchrist said Russell had “a deplorable record”.

He said: “It’s fortunate that the young woman in the house appears to have been fairly sanguine about what was happening. Someone younger or elderly would no doubt have been terrified.”

It’s fortunate the young lady is sanguine about what happened