Young burglar was caught in the act

A HOUSE-BREAKER was caught red-handed by police as he was gathering up his haul at an unoccupied Thurso house.

Dominic Long had finished a jail sentence less than a fortnight earlier when he targeted the house in the town's Marr Terrace, belonging to a neighbour who was working away from home, Wick Sheriff Court was told.

Police, acting on a tip off from a concerned resident who suspected a break-in, found Long inside the house preparing to move two television sets, two bags of loose coins various sums of money and a variety of household goods.

Long volunteered he had drugs on him and was advised he was being detained under the Misuse of Drugs act. But, while being searched, the 21-year-old popped something into his mouth and made attempts to swallow it. Officers wrestled Long to the floor and managed to retrieve the item he was trying to get rid of.

Fiscal Fraser Matheson said: "It was an intentional effort to obstruct the police" adding however, that the quantity recovered, was so small it was impossible to identify it. All the goods were recovered.

Long, admitted charges of theft and obstruction, on indictment and a record. His latest offence was committed 11 days after leaving prison on an early release supervision order,

He was told that since the break-in, Long had move south to rejoin family in Kilmarnock.

The accused was jailed for 15 months backdated to March 20 when he was arrested.