Scots thief who stole £28k from parents jailed for 15 months

A thief who raided his own parents' home and made off with more than £28,000 worth of money and jewellery has been jailed for 15 months.

The case against Rickie Tate was heard at Dundee Sheriff Court. Picture: Allan Milligan

Rickie Tait sneaked in to his parents’ Dundee home while they were on holiday in Canada.

He entered a locked dressing room and made off with a safe which he later burst open with a screwdriver at an associate’s home.

The 37-year-old took £19,300 in cash and £9,000 worth of jewellery in the raid.

Tait – who has a string of previous convictions for theft, robbery, police assault and housebreaking – managed to blow almost £1,500 of the cash in a matter of hours before he was caught.

Only one watch worth £350 was ever recovered from the haul of jewellery.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The accused is only allowed in the house if other family members are present.

“On 8 July last year the accused’s parents were on holiday in Canada and he attended around 9pm and asked to borrow money.

“His sister was there and refused, but he contacted his mother and she said he could borrow £35 and stay overnight as long as he left in the morning with his sister and her partner.

“They all left the property around 8am the following morning.

“At lunchtime the accused’s sister’s partner returned to check on the dog and found the dressing room had been forced open and the safe stolen. He suspected the accused and they attended his home and confronted him.

“He denied it and police were called. His sister searched the home and found a quantity of cash behind a boiler.

“£17,820 was recovered from the accused’s home - there had initally been £19,300 in the safe.”

Tait, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of theft.

Solicitor advocate Jim Laverty, defending, said: “To have stolen from his parents was disgraceful and he is disgusted with himself.

“He realises exactly the depths to which he was willing to go to finance his drug addiction. This was an awful offence and he accepts that.

“I’d ask that the court take into account his genuine remorse, shame, contrition and disgust for committing this particular offence.”

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Tait and said: “I’m afraid I’m not persuaded I can deal with this by anything other than a custodial sentence. It is a serious crime and one that you obviously thought through.”