Thief jailed for breaking into and robbing Ayr town centre businesses two days after prison release

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A thief has been jailed for robbing two Ayr town centre businesses after breaking into them during night-time raids. John Thomson, 46, broke into Pine Marten Plants and The Rockpool restaurant, both located in Queens Court in Ayr’s Sandgate, on November 14 last year.

Thomson, who appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court from custody, had only been released from prison two days prior to the offence. The court heard that at 8.45pm, a witness walking past heard a banging sound and spotted Thomson kicking the door of Pine Marten Plants, which has since closed down.

Police were called to attend and noticed a busted padlock, a window smashed in the premises, and Thomson covered in small shards of glass.Officers recovered 16 money bags containing £72 from Thomson’s jacket pocket.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.The next morning, the owner of The Rockpool restaurant informed police that his premises had also been broken into overnight.A number of gin bottles had been removed from the bar and £13 in money bags had been taken.It’s thought Thomson had entered the restaurant first, opening up the courtyard doors, which are padlocked at night, to gain entry to Pine Marten Plants.Solicitor John Gallagher said Thomson has been in custody since November 15 on this matter, spending a total of 156 days behind bars.Mr Gallagher explained that prior to the offence, Thomson’s girlfriend,