Man who raided Crieff home caught out by victim's dusty windows

A thief who broke into a woman's home and rummaged through her cupboards before stealing £200 was caught out by her dusty windows.

Alix Reilly's fingerprints were found on the glass next to a broken window and he claimed they were present because he had been in the house previously.

Reilly was known to the householder and confirmed he had been in the house several years earlier as they had a vague family connection.

But scenes of crime officers confirmed that his fingerprints were recent because they were found on dust which had built up since he had been in the house.

Reilly, 26, Ballantrae Terrace, Dundee, admitted breaking into the flat in Crieff High Street on 6 May last year and stealing £200.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Perth Sheriff Court yesterday: "His position was that he had been in her home before, but it was years prior to this offence.

"She returned from work and saw there was broken glass and a smashed window next to the front door. It had been smashed with a large rock.

"Various rooms had been rummaged through, including her daughter's bedroom. She noticed 200 pounds had been removed from a box she kept.

"Scenes of crime officers found a fingerprint impression on the inside of the window. It was confirmed to be the accused's fingerprint.

"He gave the explanation that the fingerprints may have been left from when he was in the house previously, but they were cutting through recent dust on the window frame."

Solicitor John Boyle, defending, told the court that his client had an alcohol problem and had "gone along for the ride" with another person.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis noted that Reilly had travelled 50 miles to rob the flat and sentence was deferred for the preparation of reports.

Reilly was jailed for 16 months in June after he admitted breaking a man’s jaw during an unprovoked attack at a Dundee nightclub.

He repeatedly punched Przezyslaw Trebacz in the face while the pair were at the smoking area of Club Tropicana, South Ward Road, in May last year.

Mr Trebacz had his jaw broken in two places and had to have metal plates and screws fitted into his mouth as a result of Reilly’s attack.