A man broke into a Glasgow flat and took a list of items, including an Apple watch and Audi keys.

Howard Fitzpatrick appeared in court last week after he admitted to stealing from a home on Dumbarton Road and being in possession of cannabis on January 17, 2025.

He also admitted to having been found in the curtilage of three different Glasgow addresses between October 13 and 18, 2023, so that it may be inferred he was intending to commit thefts.

The court heard in relation to the first charge that the resident of the property left his West End home at 11am, locking his front door.

But when he came back 9.30pm, his home was in a state of disarray.

Going in, he saw items missing. This included cash in three currencies: £285, ¥362 (Chinese currency) – roughly £37.7 and ¥1000 (Japanese yen)– around  £5.1.

Also missing were a Bank of Scotland card, an Apple watch and keys to his Audi.

Police were notified and carried out an investigation. As part of this, neighbours provided a description of a man they saw.

Cops searched the local area at 10.55pm and found Fitzpatrick, matching the description.

The cash, bank card, watch and keys were all recovered.

Also, small bags of cannabis were found on the 51-year-old.

The items were returned to the owner and Fitzpatrick was arrested.

READ NEXT: ‘He is a valued man’: Carer busted with more than £2k of cannabis at home

At the hearing, the Partick man appeared from custody.

Sheriff Vincent Lunny remarked: “He said he doesn’t remember how he got there. He stole a significant number of items.”

His lawyer explained: “All that I would say is that he had 27 custodial sentences for his previous convictions.

“He has not had an easy life. He was looked after as a child and he struggled with homelessness. He has used opioids.

“More custody will cause him to lose his housing, which is probably the only stabilising aspect of his life.”

He also emphasised that all stolen objects were recovered.

The sheriff said: “This is a serious crime and invasion of privacy.

“Enough is enough. I have tried for the best part of a year. Custody is the only appropriate option given the lack of engagement.”

For stealing the items and the possession of cannabis, Fitzpatrick was jailed for 10 months, backdated to April 14.

For each of the three charges of being found in the homes’ curtilages, he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment – six in total.

Fitzpatrick was sent to prison for 16 months.