Jailed following supermarket break-in spree

Hamilton Sheriff Court, where one of the men was found guilty and jailed for his part in the break-ins.

Garry Holmes and his accomplices also stole cash from a different store in Lesmahagow.

Neil Thomson, prosecuting, told Hamilton Sheriff Court that the thieves smashed doors to get into Lanark’s Morrisons supermarket around 3.20am on April 8 last year.

He said: “Cash registers were forced open and around £1,500 was taken. Police started an investigation and established that a silver Audi vehicle was involved in the commission of the crime.

“Two days later there was another break-in at the same store. Fire doors were forced open and this time £200 was taken from tills.

“The same Audi was found near the scene and DNA was recovered from the interior.”

Mr Thomson said Lesmahagow’s Tesco was broken into shortly before 2am on March 27.

The thieves gained entry via the fire doors, forced open tills and a cash box, and made off with £1,600.

Holmes, 31, of Wishaw, admitted taking part in five supermarket break-ins between August 2018 and April last year.

Dad of two Holmes was on early release from prison at the time also admitted unrelated car theft charges.

Defence solicitor Rowan Myles said his client’s life had “spiralled out of control” after he lost his job.

Sheriff Ray Small told him: “You have a bad record and engaged on a course of conduct which went from one side of the country to the other.”

Holmes, was jailed for three years and eight months, reduced from five years because of his guilty pleas.