A HOUSEBREAKER who was caught in the act in Ardrossan told the property owner "sorry, big man" when he was discovered in the kitchen of the home.

Dylan Templeton pleaded guilty to charges of intending to commit theft at two properties in Ardrossan and of breaking into a third home in the town.

The 29-year-old was found in the curtilage of two separate houses on South Beach Road on December 19, 2023, without lawful authority, with the inference being that he was planning to commit a theft.

Templeton then broke into a house on Millglen Road in Ardrossan, stealing quantities of medication and alcohol on January 1 this year.

Templeton, whose address was described in court papers as HMP Kilmarnock, first appeared on petition on January 2, when he was remanded.

He had spent seven weeks in custody, when he appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week.

Procurator fiscal depute Chris Munro said: “At 12am on December 20, 2023, the complainer was in her home address.

“Police attended after receiving a report of a break-in. A search in the garden was negative, but on checking the ring door bell, two males, one the accused, were seen in the garden and attempting to gain access."

Describing the second incident, Mr Munro said: “At 10.54pm the witness was in bed at her home address.

She received an alert on her phone from her camera motion detector.

“On seeing the accused she contacted police."

Describing charge three, he said: “On January 1, at 1pm, the witnesses were returning home after visiting family and on entering noticed the toilet light was on.

"The witness noticed someone in the kitchen. He shouted 'get out of my house' and asked what he was doing in his house.

“He apologised, saying, ‘sorry, big man’.

“Police on mobile uniformed patrol arrested the accused. In the locus, medication was strewn over the floor and alcohol had been ransacked.

“The value of the damage was £400."

Templeton was later cautioned and charged at Saltcoats police office.

Defence solicitor Neil McPherson said: “Dylan Templeton is single, unemployed and has been in custody since January 2.

"In this matter he has wasted no time having the matter resolved. Given the evidence, you might say he had no choice, but still.

"His record is mainly due to drugs, then he spends time stealing."

Sheriff Murdo MacTaggart said: "The only appropriate sentence is one of custody."

Templeton was jailed for a total of 14 months, with the sentence backdated to January 2, when he was first remanded.