A DUMBARTON man with a "horrendous" criminal record for theft has been sent to jail for almost five years.

Habitual thief John Luke, 39, carried out two thefts just five days after being released from a lengthy prison sentence.

Luke, 39, was sent to prison for a total of 57 months after he admitted carrying out two thefts in Cardross Road in the town on April 15.

Tuesday, having been released from prison early on a previous sentence.

Luke carried out two thefts in Cardross Road, Dumbarton, on April 15, this year. He stole a jacket, bag and contents from a car, and then stole a quantity of bags and their contents from a house in the same street.

Prosecutor Claire Nicholls told the court police searched Luke's place of residence in Ashton View on April 15 and found a number of items valued at £250.

he was staying at the Ashton View Project in Dumbarton and police obtained a search warrant where a number of items were found, valued at £250 and full recovery was made. It was the items which had been taken from the car. He was also viewed on CCTV returning just after the thefts with items in his possession.

Prosecutor Claire Nicholls told the court the owner of a Mercedes car parked in the street had returned to the vehicle at around 5pm to discover a jacket and case were missing from inside.

: "The first offence happened at 5pm, when a Mercedes Benz car was parked outside his partner's home. When he returned to the car a jacket and case were missing.

Describing the second offence, Ms Nicholls said: "At 7.45pm Luke got into the house as the door was not locked. He rummaged through and took a number of bags.

"Police were contacted, the accused was traced and found in possession of the bags. The value of the contents was £265 and everything was recovered."

Luke's lawyer said: "He wishes to apologise to his victims. He is extremely realistic and does not seek to persuade the court away from anything other than custody.

"His life has been blighted by drug addiction. But as member of the public, rather than speaking as a lawyer, I would say he needs a drug testing an treatment order [DTTO] – which would not just help him, but would make Dumbarton a safer place."

"He is 39 years old now and not a kid. But he has to grow up. He tells me he is motivated to take steps to rid himself of his drug addiction."

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry, in sentencing, told Luke: "There is no prospect of me imposing a DTTO. My only decision is whether I have enough powers to sentence you or remit you to the High Court."

On October 5, 2016 you were sentenced to 12 months and 40 month sentences at Dumbarton Sheriff Court and you were released on April 10, 2018, just five days before you committed these crimes."

The sheriff returned Luke to prison to serve 18 months of his previously unexpired sentence and imposed a total consecutive sentence of 39 months on the two other charges.

Luke denied a third charge, also alleged to have happened on April 15, of being within the back yard of a house in Charlotte Street, Dumbarton, where it was reasonable to infer he intended to commit theft. His plea was accepted by the Crown.