Edinburgh man smashed into Rosslyn Castle to hunt for secret passages after reading The Da Vinci Code
Kevin McCue made himself at home by eating food and making himself a coffee after breaking a window at a house connected to Rosslyn Castle.
McCue, 34, then made his way upstairs to a bedroom within the castle to listen to music before spending the night.
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Hide AdDuring his stay McCue also took down a valuable painting from the walls of the castle as he was searching for hidden tunnels and passages.
McCue had been reading the hit Dan Brown book The Da Vinci Code and had watched the film of the same name starring Tom Hanks the night before he made his way out to the historic Rosslyn Castle, in Midlothian.
The drug addict was caught out when a members of staff at the castle spotted broken glass and called in the police during the incident last September.
McCue was found upstairs in the unused bedroom after he had just used the shower and was getting dressed.
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Hide AdMcCue, c/o HMP Edinburgh, was arrested and released on bail but offended again when he set fire to a pile of paper outside a medical practice in Cramond, Edinburgh, earlier this year.
He told officers he had nowhere to go after falling out with his father and “wanted to be arrested” so he had somewhere to spend the night.
McCue admitted three offences when he appeared from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday. (THURS)
Fiscal depute Heather Carmichael told the court a woman who had rented the property at Rosslyn Castle had left it “undamaged” overnight on September 28 last year.
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Hide AdThe fiscal said McCue arrived at the castle at around 7.30pm and smashed two windows in a bid to get in.
Ms Carmichael said: “He made his way inside and made himself a cup of coffee and ate the food within a bag.
“He went upstairs to a bedroom and made himself comfortable, listened to music and he fell asleep.
“While in the premises he also removed a picture from the wall and placed it on the floor.”
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Hide AdThe following morning the staff member then saw the broken glass outside the property and after calling the police went inside to find the crook had just “showered and was getting dressed”.
McCue was arrested again on March 30 this year after he was found to have set alight a pile of paper outside Cramond Medical Practice.
The fiscal added the heroin addict set the fire at around 11.45pm and was still at the scene when the fire service and the police arrived.
Solicitor Andrew Docherty, defending, said his client had been using £10 of heroin a day at the time of the Rosslyn Castle break in.
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Hide AdMr Docherty said: “He wished to visit the chapel and he has taken this foolish notion to enter the building.
“In respect of the painting, he advises me has watched too many films and he took the picture down as he was looking for secret passages. He wasn't in his right mind.”
The brief added McCue then went on to start the fire at the medical centre after rowing with his father and having nowhere to go for the night.
A source said: “McCue is a big fan of The Da Vinci Code and had read the book and had been watching the film the night before the break-in.
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Hide Ad“But it still seems a very strange thing to do - I don't know how he thought he’d get away with it.”
Sheriff Norman McFadyen told McCue he had committed “a fairly ridiculous piece of offending” and sentenced him to 263 days in prison.
The sheriff was told McCue was already in custody for a previous offence and made the prison term consecutive to his current sentence.
McCue admitted to breaking into a home at Rosslyn Castle, Roslin, Midlothian, and stealing a quantity of food and removing a painting from the wall on September 30 last year.
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Hide AdHe also pleaded guilty to setting a fire at Cramond Medical Practice, Glebe Road, Edinburgh, on March 30 this year.
And he also admitted breaching a curfew order by being outwith his home address on March 31 this year.