AN Alexandria man, who has 14 previous convictions for dishonesty, has been jailed after being caught in the back gardens of a series of houses.

Callum McRoberts, 45, of Tudhope Crescent, was found in the back garden of a house in Wilson Street, also Alexandria, on June 6 this year. It was inferred that he intended to commit theft.

Fiscal depute Kara Watt told the court: “At 5pm witnesses were in a garden in Wilson Street when McRoberts walked through a gate. He was asked to leave. He was then seen in the rear gardens of three other gardens, attempting to open the rear doors of the houses and the garden sheds.

“Police attended, he was arrested and taken to Clydebank police office where he told police ‘I was only having some fun.’”

Defence lawyer Tony Bone said: “The reports seem fairly favourable. He accepts being there. He says he was just taking a short cut. He has had a bad record of offending over the past 17 years, his last offence being in 2017. Options are limited.”

Sheriff John Hamilton told McRoberts: “This is your fifteenth conviction for crimes of dishonesty, and here we go again. You have reached the end of the line.”

The sheriff backdated McRoberts’ jail sentence to November 9.