A VILE thief has avoided prison after it was deemed the "easy option".

On Thursday, fiscal depute Laura Knox told Alloa Sheriff Court that Martin Dowds and co-accused Claire Walker had called at a house in Alva's James Street at some point between March 15-26 this year.

While Walker, 31, of Backwood Court in Clackmannan, used the toilet, the accused stood next to a display cabinet.

The complainer became concerned about the couple's behaviour, so asked them to leave. A few days later she noticed that her digital camera, which was in the cabinet, was missing alongside some toiletries from the bathroom.

Dowds also admitted entering an insecure motor in Tillicoultry's Hareburn Road at some point between March 29 and April 5, 2017, to steal a purse that contained a quantity of credit and debit cards.

He used one of the stolen cards to withdraw £1,750 from ATMs in Tilly, Alloa and Stirling. The victim only became aware of the crime when Tesco credit card fraud squad reported numerous suspicious cash withdrawals.

The police were contacted and after an investigation the accused was traced.

Dowds, of Stalker Avenue in Tillicoultry, appeared from custody having already served the equivalent of a three-month sentence following his remand in April.

Defending, Kelly Howe claimed that her 32-year-old client had accepted responsibility.

She stated that the seriousness of the crimes was not lost on the accused, but explained that Dowds' history with drugs and the root of his offending behaviour had not yet been successfully treated.

Ms Howe asked Sheriff Derek Reekie to give the accused another chance, but to put him on a "tight leash".

The sheriff branded the theft of the camera and toiletries as "particularly vile" because the duo had been invited into the house.

He highlighted that Dowds had spent numerous periods in custody before, but it had no affect on his reoffending.

Sheriff Reekie stated that the "easy option" would be to jail the accused, but the "only hope for the protection of the public" would be to address his offending behaviour.

Dowds was sentenced to a Community Payback Order with two years' supervision and a conduct requirement to attend drug treatment as directed.

Sheriff Reekie told the accused: "It's not you getting off the hook and you better not think that."