A Beith man who stole from the same supermarket in the town two days in a row has been caged over the raids.

Andrew James Probert targeted the Co-Op in Medine Avenue on March 6 and 7 last year. 

On both occasions he made off with "a number of bottles of alcohol."

He was also charged with raiding the store a further time on March 7, but it was dropped by prosecutors as part of a plea deal.

Probert, of Mains Avenue, Beith, pleaded guilty to the offences last year and was placed on a Community Payback Order, requiring him to be supervised by social workers for a year and complete 120 hours' unpaid work in six months.

But he did not comply fully with the Order and found himself back in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court this week for breaching the Order.

Defence Solicitor Advocate Simon Brown said: "This is the third breach of the same Order.

"For some time he has suffered from poor mental health and psychosis.

"He moved to a new home and didn't leave there.

"He phoned the Social Work Department on a number of occasions to say he was unfit and unwell. 

"He was in the grip of heroin addiction and that was something that completely overcame him. 

"He is fearful of returning to custody, having been assaulted and slashed the last time he was in custody, from someone who remains within the prison."

Probert said from the dock: "It's tearing me apart in there."

And, after Probert spoke to him, Mr Brown added: "His depression has been exacerbated by the death of his step-father last year."

Sheriff Michael Hanlon said: "You've been given more than one chance to comply with the Order and you've chose not to do so.

"I'm going to revoke the Order and impose a custodial sentence as an alternative."

He said he would have sentenced him to 18 weeks behind bars, reduced from 20, but pointed out he had spent six weeks on remand,  so caged him for 12 weeks, backdated to last week, when he was taken in to custody.