Man broke into two businesses in same Inverness street – four months apart

A 43-year-old Inverness man with a bad record for dishonesty has been given a chance to stay out of jail after admitting two break-ins in the city and a failed attempt.

At an earlier hearing, Sheriff Sara Matheson called for a background report after Peter MacAllister's lawyer Willie Young told her that his client was currently on two drug treatment and testing orders.

When MacAllister appeared for sentence, Mr Young said his client had made "significant progress" with the orders although "there were periods where he struggled".

He said both were due to finish in September and November and asked the sheriff to impose another one.

But Sheriff Matheson was uncertain because he had offended whilst on the orders and decided to wait until MacAllister's next progress report on September 22 before deciding his fate.

Earlier this year, MacAllister, of Bught Drive, had pleaded guilty at Inverness Sheriff Court to attempting to break in to his local shop in Torvean Avenue, on May 22, 2023 by repeatedly striking a shutter and a door with a hammer with intent to steal.

He also admitted two previous city break-ins – one at the Computer Shop in Tomnahurich Street on October 17 last year and the other breaking into the We Frame It premises in the same street on February 12, 2023.

MacAllister pleaded guilty to a fourth charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly shouting, swearing and uttering offensive remarks when police tried to arrest him for the October 2022 offence.