The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Gallus’ thief escapes after early raid
A “GALLUS” thief broke into a Dundee family’s home yesterday morning before making off with an armful of their possessions.
Householder Sheena McGivney was woken by the commotion in her Forfar Road home and made it downstairs in time to see the intruder escaping through gardens heading towards Clepington Road.
Police raced to the scene but were unable to catch the burglar after searching the area.
The incident was the second to hit the same stretch of Forfar Road over the holiday period.
Last week a man was jailed for breaking into a nearby house and stealing thousands of pounds worth of items on Christmas Day.
Speaking to The Courier yesterday afternoon, Mrs McGivney said: “I was still on holiday and when I woke up at about 8am I heard movement downstairs.
“I thought it would be my daughter getting ready for work so I got up and went down.
“The light in the front room was on, which was unusual.
“When I went in to put it off I noticed a cold draft coming from somewhere, and when I went through to the kitchen the window was open.”
A next-door neighbour was also alerted to the break-in by a security light triggered when the thief fled through his garden.
Mrs McGivney added: “The laddie was in my neighbour’s garden shouting ‘I’ve not done anything to you, leave me alone.’
“He was obviously trying to get across to Clepington Road to escape.
“We later found my husband Charlie’s mobile phone and my daughter’s handbag in our neighbour’s garden.
“The items that are still missing are my handbag, which had my purse and mobile phone in it, and my son-in-law’s leather jacket.
“My phone has all my numbers in it and there was money in the purse but it’s the inconvenience more than anything.
“Breaking into someone’s house at 8am – how gallus can you get?” Police were called and set up several lookout points around the area but were unable to trace the culprit.
A spokesperson for Tayside Police said: “We received a call shortly after 8am that a break-in had occurred at an address in Forfar Road.
“Several items were stolen and some were recovered.
“It would appear the occupants disturbed the intruder.”
Last week Dundee man Paul Reilly was jailed for eight months after pleading guilty to breaking into a different Forfar Road home on Christmas Day and stealing a host of items including jewellery, toys and a laptop computer.
Reilly (42), of Red Admiral Court, was caught in the act by the family, who were returning home in the early evening after going out for the afternoon.
The householder described the series of break-ins as “worrying” when approached by The Courier.