A LANARKSHIRE man who stole a £27,000 Land Rover Freelander and thousands of pounds worth of specialist fishing tackle during a break-in at an isolated property in the Borders has been jailed for nine months.

Ross Cowper, 38, pleaded guilty to the offences which happened at the house in Maxton, near St Boswells, on November 30 last year.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told said a Vauxhall Vectra used in the raid was registered in the name of father-of-four Cowper.

Police found stolen items such as fishing rods, a television and cash as well as the Land Rover Freelander following a search of Cowper's house and garage in his home village of Chapelhall.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said that at 4.30am a female occupier of the house was woken up by the sound of a vehicle on the gravel outside and when she looked out she saw a female next to a large vehicle.

He said: "At 8am the front door of the house was found ajar with a kitchen light on and when she went into the living room she found that a 27 inch television had been stolen.

"A Land Rover Freelander was missing from the driveway and an Ipad was found to be missing also and a handbag which contained various items including 30 to 40 pounds in cash.

"Two sets of keys belonging to the Land Rover had gone as well as high value fishing tackle."

Mr Fraser said it appeared the lock had been forced with pressure as there were no obvious signs of a break-in.

He continued: "Enquiries thereafter followed and as well as the stolen Land Rover a Vauxhall Vectra which was registered to Cowper in the Chapelhall area of Airdrie had been spotted.

"Police saw it parked outside an address and Cowper was seen carrying items into the house.

"On the morning of December 1, a couple of days after the break-in, the vehicle was driven away and pulled over.

"Money which had been stolen from the house was found in possession of the accused in the back of the vehicle.

"The accused agreed to a search of his house and garage and the stolen Land Rover was found along with other items taken in the break-in.

"As I understand it the total value of the property stolen was in excess of £30,000."

Cowper's lawyer admitted his client had 16 previous convictions in total. he explained he lost his job in October but was hoping to be re-employed as a steel fixer which attracted a good salary.

He said:"He has four children, three of whom resides with him at the weekend.

"At the time he had a drugs issue and his life had spiralled out of control taking heroin and valium and in effect he was a desperate man.

"He is now drug free."

Sheriff Celia Sanderson told Cowper a custodial sentence was inevitable describing it as a "significant house breaking".