A VILE criminal went on a 30-Valium binge before breaking into his vulnerable cousin’s Dumbarton home and stealing from him, a court has heard.

Anthony Hollern, 39, pleaded guilty last week to a broad-daylight raid of his relative for items such as TV remotes and an electric razor.

His cousin, heard Dumbarton Sheriff Court, lives with learning difficulties and requires support from family and support workers.

Fiscal depute Kevin Doherty said: “Anthony Hollern is well aware of that.”

The cousin’s home is a flat in Victoria Street, overlooked by a number of other residential properties and Hollern, with an unnamed woman, were seen and heard by neighbours at around 12.15pm on August 29.

They immediately phoned police and kept a eye on the home.

Hollern smashed the rear window and entered the property before emerging with numerous items.

Police soon found them with a bag containing stuff, some of which was in Hollern’s pocket.

Hollern took a TV and cables, two remote controls, a football shirt, an electric razor and a quantity of tobacco.

In all, the items were worth about £400, but they were all recovered.

The cousin was not home at the time, heard the court.

Hollern was living in Brucehill Road, Dumbarton, at the time of the offence and defence solicitor Kenny Clark said it was an “opportunistic” crime.

The lawyer said his client had been abusing Valium and taken an estimated 30 tablets the night before and into the day of August 29.

He said: “He went to his cousin’s house with the intention of having a drink. His cousin was not in and that’s when he took leave of his senses.

“He managed to secure a spade from an insecure cellar and took that and broke the window.

“It was committed with no finesse or subtlety.

“He describes it as complete stupidity. He recognises the gravity and he does appear to be genuinely embarrassed at violating his cousin’s home and privacy.”

Hollern has three previous housebreaking convictions, including one in 2016 where he was sentenced to 25 months.

Sheriff William Gallacher fumed: “You did this to satisfy your own self-interest. It’s a despicable thing to have done to anybody.

“It’s very difficult to meet my responsibility not to sentence while angry.”

Hollern was jailed for two years, backdated to August 30 when he was first remanded.

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