A DUMBARTON man has been handed a curfew order as a punishment for stealing items from two homes in the Vale of Leven.

Scott Connelly stole a key and key ring from a property in First Avenue in Alexandria on January 9, and entered a neighbouring house on the same night, where he stole a lighter.

A court hearing on Thursday was told that the root of Connelly’s offending lay in his alcohol abuse – and heard that at the time of the offences he had been habitually drinking between 12 and 16 cans of lager a day.

Sentence on 41-year-old Connelly, who admitted the thefts at a previous hearing, had been deferred to allow social workers to prepare a background report on him.

Connelly’s solicitor, Lauren Kerr, told Dumbarton Sheriff Court: “Although he is still drinking, he’s not drinking as heavily.”

Connelly, of Ashton View, had been placed on a curfew in connection with a previous offence – and Miss Kerr said that curfew was preventing him attending as many alcohol counselling sessions as he would like.

“He is full aware of what would be put in place in terms of a community payback order,” she said, “and is prepared to accept those conditions.”

Miss Kerr suggested that a restriction of liberty order might be appropriate for her client – but asked that the normal curfew hours of 7pm to 7am be modified to enable him to attend evening meetings to help with his addiction.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry agreed with Miss Kerr’s request, and as a result, Connelly’s curfew will run from 7pm to 7am on weekends only, and from 9.30pm to 7am from Monday to Friday, for the next six months.

Sheriff Hendry told 41-year-old Connelly: “When I heard the procurator fiscal tell me about the circumstances of this offence, my mind was turning to my requiring to send you to prison. I now have a slightly different view, but the position, emotion and reactions of the people in those houses that night won’t be any different.

“If I’m told you are shocked and ashamed.

“You are doing well on a voluntary basis but if you are directed to go to counselling, you must go.

“If you do not comply with this order my mind will be switching back to the option of custody.”

Connelly was placed on social work supervision until July 2018.