A THIEF with a catalogue of previous convictions for crimes of dishonesty has been locked up for more than a thousand days after attempting to break into a Greenock church.

Brazen James Cameron — who was found with his head and hands inside a broken window at St Mary’s — claimed that he was merely investigating an act of vandalism.

But a jury didn’t believe him and took less than an hour to decide he was guilty of trying to gain access to the Patrick Street place of worship to steal.

In his speech to jurors, prosecutor David Glancy said: “You will know from your own experience that churches, just like houses, shops, factories and a whole host of other places, have items that are of considerable value that are portable — that can be carried away.

“St Mary’s Church is no exception, but the brass work, candle holders and goblets are all made of precious metals and worth considerable amounts of money.

“There are, regrettably, rich pickings for a thief in a church.

“His sustained attempts to gain entry to this building at that time of night, allows you to reasonably conclude that the singular purpose of these efforts was to steal.” 

The trial was told how a priest heard the sound of glass smashing at around 11pm on March 18 and went to investigate.

He saw Cameron at the window, who claimed he had seen two boys smashing the window and running away.

The jury was told that Cameron — who was being watched by the priest — then moved into the garden area of the presbytery and walked along the side of the building before returning to the window and attempting to climb inside.

Police were called by the priest, who then retreated upstairs, and officers arrived to find Cameron ‘oblivious’ to their presence with his head and hands inside the broken window.

He was described as being intoxicated on a substance, although he didn’t smell of drink, and was ‘unsteady on his feet and incoherent’.

Cameron claimed that he had gone out for a walk to clear his head when he heard the sound of glass breaking.

He told the court he was merely trying to pick broken glass out of the window frame when the police arrived.

However, the court heard that the handle for the window had been moved to the ‘open’ position when he was apprehended.

Fiscal depute Mr Glancy told the jury: “There is no question in this case of his intoxication being anything other than self-inflicted. Our law does not allow for someone getting so out of it that it somehow absolves them from criminal responsibility.”

Mr Glancy urged the jury to ignore Cameron’s claims to have been acting as an ‘upright and responsible citizen’.

He added: “He has an answer for every part of the case, but ask yourself how is it that someone who is staggering, bouncing off walls, incoherent and can’t even be taken into custody because of his condition appears to have such a detailed recollection of events?”

Cameron, previously of Shaw Place in Greenock, was out of prison on licence from a previous conviction at the time and has several convictions for housebreaking and dishonesty.

Sheriff Thomas Ward, inset, sentenced him to a total of 1,050 days.