A BUNGLING thief who tried to steal cable worth more than £1300 from Fife Council’s depot in Milesmark was thwarted after staff shut his van in.

Michael Meiklejohn (43) and another person had attempted the theft in broad daylight, but a supervisor saw them trying to load the cable into the van and shut the gates.

Meiklejohn, of 7 Schaw Court, Sauchie, admitted that on 19 February at Fife Council, Carnock Road, while acting with another, he stole a drum of cable.

Fiscal Azrah Yousaf told Dunfermline Sheriff Court last Wednesday that a supervisor in the office became aware of a white van being driven by Meiklejohn turning into the depot around 12.25pm.

Meiklejohn and another person then got out and rolled the cable into the van.

Police were called and staff were alerted to close the depot gates. Meiklejohn and his friend were then seen trying to escape but did not succeed.

The cable, worth £1370, was fully recovered and when questioned by police, Meiklejohn said: “It was stupid, on the spur of the moment and I’m sorry.” Solicitor Roshni Joshi said Meiklejohn “accepts that it was a stupid thing to have done”.

She added, “It was on the spur of the moment. There appears to have been a stagnation in his offending behaviour and he’s now stable on a prescription of methdadone.” In sentencing, Sheriff Simon Collins told Meiklejohn: “You have a record of dishonesty.

“You seemed to have put that behind you in 2010 but it’s surfaced again.

“You were subject to a restriction of liberty order for three months last year.

“I suspect it would be very easy to send you to prison but I’m going to put you on a restriction of liberty order for seven months.”