Alloa man broke back into pub after missing train

Cailein Duff (32) took a pickaxe to the door of the Dunblane hostelry in a desperate bid to find someone to borrow money from, for his taxi fare back to Clackmannanshire.

He ended up walking back to his home in Alloa, but was arrested after police found his blood at the scene.

Duff, a father-of-two and former Royal Navy engineer, “stayed too late” after toeing the oche at the Dunblane Hotel, which is yards from the town’s railway station.

When he made it to the station, the last train to Alloa had gone.

On Thursday (6 November), Stirling Sheriff Court was told that he used a pickaxe and a shovel to break a window above the door of the pub, and got in and went upstairs.

He could not find anyone, and left again.

Lindsey Brookes, prosecuting, said the damage was discovered by a cleaner the next morning, and police were called in.

The depute fiscal said Duff’s DNA was isolated from smears of blood he left on a piece of glass on top of the window ledge of the front door, and on a bannister rail.

He was arrested at his home four weeks later.

Mrs Brookes said: “He told police that he had missed his train and he was looking for money to get home - he went back to the pub to see if there was anybody in.

“He said he was drunk and stupid and hit the window with a pickaxe and climbed in. In the premises, he went up the stairs towards the bar, but thought how stupid it was and turned back.” Duff, of Tay Court, pleaded guilty to criminal damage. An allegation that he broke into the premises with intent to steal was dropped by the prosecution.

His agent, Stephen Maguire, said: “It was an act born of stupidity.

“He was poached to join the Dunblane Hotel darts team and on this particular evening he got his times wrong and missed the last train.” Sheriff Mhari MacTaggart fined Duff £200 and ordered him to pay £220 compensation.

The sheriff said: “Whatever I may think, the charge is one of malicious damage.”