AN ARDROSSAN man raided a woman’s car in a search for items to fund his drug habit – and then claimed to the vehicle's owner that he had a needle on him.

James Donnelly was locked up after pleading guilty to three charges following the incident last month.

Donnelly entered the woman’s car on Irvine Road in Kilmarnock on February 10.

The town’s sheriff court heard a couple living in Irvine Road were at home waiting to be picked up by a friend just after 7pm that night.

The procurator fiscal depute said that when the friend arrived, she noticed a man sitting inside the couple’s car in the driveway.

Initially thinking it was either her friend or the friend’s husband, she quickly realised it was a stranger.

The court heard that when Donnelly realised he’d been spotted, he tried to get out of the car – only for the woman to grab hold of him.

The pair then began dragging each other around in the street.

Hearing the commotion, the woman’s friend left her house – and as she went to help her friend subdue Donnelly, she noticed her personal belongings lying on the ground next to the vehicle.

Donnelly, the court was told, was kicking and flailing his legs, shouting "I'm homeless, I've not done anything" and "I've got a f****** needle". 

Police were called and arrived a short time later to arrest Donnelly, who was then taken into custody, cautioned and charged.

Donnelly’s solicitor told the court his client was resident in a hostel in Ardrossan’s Princes Street, and was ordinarily unemployed and on benefits.

He said Donnelly had long-standing drug addiction issues, but had been clean for two years until shortly before the incident, when he relapsed due to family matters.

The lawyer said Donnelly’s long-term partner refused to tolerate drugs in her home, which meant Donnelly was in the homeless system and “looking for opportunities to fund his habit”.

Sheriff Rhona Wark deferred sentence for background reports and remanded Donnelly in custody.