A MAN who stole a charity tin of cash claimed he had no money when he was let out of prison.

Daniel Lacey appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on October 10 for a string of crimes and breaking court orders.

He has now been put on a drug treatment and testing order (DTTO) to get him out of a cycle of crime.

His drug addiction recently put him in hospital and his defence solicitor acknowledged his client needed to change in order to survive.

On April 15, 2022, police were on patrol and saw Lacey walking towards a property and stopped him for a search.

As they started to check him, he took something from his left trouser pocket and put a number of tablets in his mouth.

They repeatedly told him to spit them out but he swallowed them and was taken to hospital. He had injested 15 Valium tablets.

The next year, Lacey had been arrested for another matter and then released from remand.

On March 21, 2023, Lacey had checked into the Queen of the Loch hotel in Old Luss Road, Balloch.

At about 2.30pm, he left his room and walked down the stairs with a TV under his arm. It was worth £420 and was not recovered.

At 8.20am the next morning, he attended for breakfast and staff saw he was agitated.

There was an Alzheimer's Scotland charity tin at the bar and Lacey shook it as though he was checking how full it was.

He then put it under his arm and walked out.

Both thefts were caught on CCTV.

Later in the day, at 2.30pm, Lacey went to his parents' home and shouted at them.

He said: "I need to use the f***ing phone to call the f***ing council."

His mother asked him to leave and threatened to call police.

"Imagine calling the police on your own son," he replied.

He left and returned a number of times before letting himself into the unlocked door and demanding money.

Lacey shouted a number of abusive comments at his mum before he eventually left.

But he stayed outside and was shouting: "Open the f***ing door, I'm f***ing wet."

He continued to bang on the letter box before his parents called the police and he left.

At 8pm, he returned, shouting through the front door: "Dad, Dad, open the door."

He was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and police were called again.

Lacey later pleaded guilty to swallowing pills to prevent officers from seizing them, to the theft of the TV and charity tin, and to shouting, swearing and uttering abusive remarks to his mother.

Lacey, who has previous addresses in Cumbrae Crescent, Third Avenue, Halkett Crescent and the Milton Estate, also later broke a bail order not to set foot in Bonhill.

His defence solicitor told the court, bluntly: "The matters are serious and particularly mean.

"There's been a lot of water under the bridge. Street Valium was very much part of his life. It looks like he has taken some steps towards addressing this.

"He is much more settled. He is ashamed of how he behaved.

"He was released from remand and didn't have any money at all so got money to survive.

"If he does not deal with this problem, there will be more time in hospital and in custody."

Sheriff Clair McLachlan said: "The matters before the court are fairly significant, particularly the incident involving your mother.

"I hope you are ashamed of yourself."

She imposed a two-year DTTO and will review his progress. On other matters, sentence was deferred.