A CALLOUS thief and her boyfriend ransacked her grandparents' home and stole jewellery in a pre-meditated raid while the couple were away on holiday — then tried to cash in on the haul.
Louise Holland and Samuel Bonnar broke in to the Greenock property after smashing a glass panel on the back door and helped themselves to a quantity of trinkets as well as tobacco and booze.
But their calculated plan to pawn the valuables at Cash Generator on West Blackhall Street failed after a neighbour alerted a relative of the victims, who in turn warned staff at the sell and loan store to be on the lookout.
Greenock Sheriff Court heard how Holland, 23, and Bonnar, 28, targeted her grandparents' house between February 18 and 19 — just days before the couple were due to return from their break.
Procurator fiscal depute John Penman said: "A neighbour noticed items strewn at the locus and saw that a glass panel at the back door had been broken.
"The witness contacted the daughter of the victims and entry to the property was gained.
"It was noted that the place had been ransacked."
Mr Penman added: "The daughter of the victims went to Cash Generator and spoke to staff there and told them to be on the lookout for a number of items of jewellery.
"Lo and behold Mr Bonnar's co-accused entered the shop later.
"Excuses were made by staff at the time that they couldn't process the items and she was told to come back."
The court heard that police armed with a search warrant later swooped on Bonnar's home in Port Glasgow's Kelburn Terrace and recovered the jewellery, tobacco and alcohol.
Holland and Bonnar both pleaded guilty on separate indictments to breaking in to Holland's grandparents' home at Aberfoyle Road, Greenock, and stealing a quantity of jewellery and personal items.
Bonnar's lawyer said: "Louise Holland suggested the crime. She had inside knowledge of when her grandparents were on holiday.
"I'm pleased to say that the items were returned to the householders."
The court heard that Bonnar — who has five previous convictions for crimes of dishonesty — was released from a High Court prison sentence around a year ago and had been at liberty for eight months when he raided the house.
He was jailed in January 2012 for ploughing a car into a bus full of passengers whilst high on drugs.
Bonnar — who was a learner driver at the time — drove through Port Glasgow at speeds of up to 70mph before veering onto the wrong side of Glasgow Road and smashing into the bus.
One victim, a 58-year-old man, was left in a vegetative state for the rest of his life as a result of the horrific incident and an 81-year-old passenger was catapulted into the bus's windscreen.
Bonnar's lawyer said of his latest offence: "He became involved in a relationship with his co-accused Louise Holland.
"The relationship was fraught with difficulties. Both have historic drug problems, and consequently had money problems as well."
Holland, of Ann Street in Greenock, is currently on a community payback order regarding a separate criminal matter.
Sheriff David Hall deferred sentence on her until July 18 for a background report and an electronic tagging assessment.
The lawman jailed Bonnar for 18 months and told him that it would have been a two-year sentence were it not for his guilty plea.
Holland waved to him as he was led away to begin his latest prison term.