Camelon barber jailed after breaking into client's home and stealing cash

A Camelon barber forced his way into a client’s home before stealing around £500 after being left feeling aggrieved by a “very small” pay packet.
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Craig Brown, 24, of 50 Wall Street, admitted breaking into the Redding property on September 27, 2019 and pinching cash.

Brown made a failed attempt to burst open a safe kept behind a “false wall” in his client’s living room.

Instead, he made off with cash from a purse and coin jar.

Craig Brown, of Camelon, was jailed at Falkirk Sheriff Court last week. Picture: Michael Gillen.Craig Brown, of Camelon, was jailed at Falkirk Sheriff Court last week. Picture: Michael Gillen.
Craig Brown, of Camelon, was jailed at Falkirk Sheriff Court last week. Picture: Michael Gillen.
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Speaking at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, procurator fiscal depute Rebecca Reid said: “Around 9pm on September 27, 2019, the witness, his wife and children returned to their home.

“Upon entering the secured front door, the witness became aware of a broken kitchen drawer which was out of place.

“The witness went into the living room and observed a false wall over where the safe was kept was broken.”

The court was told an attempt had been made to gain access to the safe, but it was unsuccessful, while tools had been left beneath it.

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The fiscal depute continued: “They contacted police and, whilst awaiting their arrival, searched his home address and found £363 missing from a purse in the living room and around £200 missing from a coin jar upstairs.”

When officers arrived, the court was told that they noticed a rear window was broken.

The police then took statements and retrieved a number of items for forensic analysis.

Brown later contacted his victim via social media to issue an apology.

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The fiscal depute said: “Between then and Sunday, September 29, 2019, the witness received a Facebook message, from an account he knows to be the accused, apologising.

“Again on October 2, 2019, the witness received another apology message and two further ones on October 3 and October 5. The witness handed these over to police.

“At the time of the incident, the accused wasn’t officially cautioned and charged due to not being traced.”

Defence solicitor Simon Hutchison said his client had previous convictions.

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Detailing the background to the “unusual situation” in September 2019, the solicitor told the court Brown had received a “very small amount of wages” from the man whose home he later broke into.

Mr Hutchison, who asked Sheriff Christopher Shead to consider imposing supervision and a compensation order, said: “He was annoyed by this and knew the gentleman kept a jar and took stupid action.

"Although he’s not working for the man, he does still speak to him and continually apologises.

“My client’s position is it was £470. His background is very difficult.

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“In his young years, he was in an awful lot of trouble but in his early 20s he has matured. There’s been an absence of offending.”

Addressing Brown, Sheriff Shead said: “You have a long and hard record.

“The court is satisfied custody is the only appropriate disposal in this case.”

Brown was jailed for nine months, modified to six months to reflect the fact he pleaded guilty at the first calling of the case.

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