Dozy thief caught as he tries to break out of supermarket

John Kidd hid himself in a stock room at a Scotmid store until staff had locked up for the night before going on to pack a rucksack full of cash and cigarettes from the empty store.

But witless Kidd found himself unable to get out of the locked shop after finding the fire exit tightly shut and the store’s security shutters would not move.

The flustered crook then began to smash windows at the store in Gorebridge, Midlothian, in a panicked bid to escape.

But his desperate antics only set off the store’s alarm system and police raced to the scene to find the stricken thief still stuck inside.

Kidd, from Gorebridge, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of concealing himself in the Scotmid store and stealing money and cigarettes on March 22 this year when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday. The 35-year-old, who appeared in the dock from custody, also admitted a charge of smashing a window at the shop on the same date.

Fiscal Naomi Warner said Scotmid staff had locked the premises at 10pm and night shift staff had arrived half an hour later but had left the rear fire door open.

Ms Warner said: “The rear door was unlocked while staff worked within.

“It would appear between 10.30pm and 3am the accused gained entry and concealed himself within a rear stock room.

“Night shift workers finished at around 3am and CCTV revealed at 3.59am the accused entered the main store area and made his way to the till area where he opened the tills.

“He removes money from the tills and places amounts into his trouser pocket and a rucksack.

“At 4.01am he attended the cigarette counter and placed a quantity of packets into his bag until it was full.”

The fiscal added Kidd’s attempts to leave the store then proved futile as he could not open the window shutters and the fire exit would not open.

Ms Warner said: “In what appeared to be a panic the accused smashed a window and attempted to get through the locked shutter in a bid to escape from the premises.

“He was unsuccessful and the store alarm had been activated and began sounding loudly.”

The court was told police turned up and found Kidd still inside the supermarket.

It was found Kidd had attempted to steal a total of £724 of cash and goods from the Hunterfield Road store.

Sheriff Peter Braid remanded Kidd in custody and deferred sentence to next month.

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