Theft of bank card in break-in at hotel

A homeless man broke into an Inverness pub and hotel and stole a staff member’s bank card.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told yesterday that 33-year-old Dean Barclay had been made homeless, having been thrown out of his supported accommodation in Union Street, just beforehand.

Barclay went to the King’s Highway in nearby Church Street in the early hours of February 22 this year.

He forced his way into the building where he found the employee’s jacket in the reception area.

He took a bank card from the man’s wallet but the night porter returned and ordered

“He thought the police were asking him if he had ‘sharps’”

him out of the building before calling the police, depute fiscal Robert Weir said.

When Barclay was arrested, he was twice asked by police if he had any sharp objects. He denied this but a later search discovered a red knife attached to a lanyard around his neck.

Barclay admitted theft by housebreaking and endangering the safety of two police officers by failing to disclose he had a knife in his possession.

Defence solicitor Neil Wilson told Sheriff Gary Aitken: “He is a drug user and thought the police were asking him if he had ‘sharps’ which is a colloquial description for needles.

“When he was under supervision from his last jail sentence, he was clean of drugs within two months, but reverted into drug use again when that supervision ended.”

Sheriff Aitken deferred sentence to May 21 and Barclay was again remanded in custody.