Dylan Hay, 31, was jailed for two years at Hamilton Sheriff Court after cutting through the floor of an empty flat to steal cash and cigarettes from a shop below. He admitted breaking into the Premier shop on Bellshill Road, Motherwell, on December 18 last year.
Details of the Break-In
The shopkeeper was woken by an alarm on her mobile phone at 4am and viewed camera footage showing a man putting cash and items in a bag at the till area. Prosecutor Daisy Bentley told the court that police were alerted and found the front door locked and secured. Officers then discovered that glass in the door of an upstairs flat had been smashed.
Inside the flat, laminate flooring had been lifted and the floor cut through, allowing access to the shop below. A brick, a saw, and a hammer were found lying on the floor. Store CCTV captured Hay entering from the roof space using a ladder to climb down, then climbing back up with two large bags before fleeing.
Stolen Items and Previous Convictions
Hay got away with £1,500 in cash, though the amount of cigarettes stolen was not known. Defence lawyer Ian Scott said Hay had a difficult childhood and has been plagued by addiction. He had been doing well and was alcohol and drug-free but relapsed after the death of a friend. At the time of the break-in, he was sleeping rough, including at the empty flat.
Hay had just completed a 16-month prison sentence for twice breaking into a Tesco supermarket in Uddingston. Sheriff John Hamilton KC noted he has around 30 previous convictions for dishonesty. Sentencing him, the sheriff said: "This was a serious commercial break-in, significantly sophisticated in its own way. In the circumstances the only option for the court is custody."
