CRIME: Drug addict, from Inverness, given deferred sentence while court waits for reports after he admitted housebreaking

A man who broke into a house in his search for drugs may be given a chance to stay out of jail and beat his addictions to crack cocaine and opiates.

Craig Cornish, of Telford Street, Inverness appeared the city’s sheriff court and admitted a charge of house-breaking with intent to steal from the property in the same street as he now lives.

The offence was committed on November 29, 2018 and the 37-year-old father-of-three was due to stand trial this week.

But he decided to plead guilty at the last minute and Sheriff Ian Cruickshank deferred sentence until September 21 after hearing from defence solicitor Marc Dickson. “He has been fighting drug addictions for the past 15 years,” Mr Dickson said.

“But he is motivated to address his issues because his partner is pregnant with his fourth child.

“He really went to the property to source drugs while dis-inhibited by drugs. It was not a cleverly planned escapade and carried out with not a lot of guile.

“It was a pretty rudimentary break-in.”

Fiscal depute Martina Eastwood told the court that Cornish cut himself as he put his hand through a hole in the door to open it.

“The occupant heard someone in his kitchen and chased the intruder briefly,” she said. “Police were called. DNA from the blood found matched Cornish.”

Sheriff Cruickshank ordered a background report, a restriction of liberty order and drug-treatment assessment.

Allowing his bail to be continued, he told Cornish: “Housebreaking is a serious matter. But it would be wrong of me to conclude that there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.

“I am prepared to get reports but that is not to say that there won’t be a custodial sentence.”

READ: Highland woman sentenced at Inverness Sheriff Court over threat to stab pregnant woman