A BORDERS man was found in the curtilage of a house on the afternoon of June 18 last year in circumstances which inferred he intended to commit theft.

Paul Turnbull, 42, of Selkirk, pleaded guilty to the offence at the town’s sheriff court.

Miriam Clark, prosecuting, explained how a neighbour saw Turnbull standing on a 6ft fence trying to get access to a property at Leslie Place.

The neighbour told him to get off the fence on multiple occasions and then he tried to gain access to the garden through bushes.

The neighbour went round to tell the householder about what she had witnessed.

About half an hour later Turnbull was again seen peering into the woman's garden and managed to briefly get access to her house by saying "shush" and walking past her.

The fiscal said the woman was "scared and alarmed" that he was within her home address.

Ms Clark continued: "The accused was traced to Montrose Street where he had a head injury and it appeared he had fallen.

"An ambulance came to assess him and paramedics suspected he had a serious injury.

"He was found to have bruised ribs and shoulders."

Defence lawyer Colin Severin said his client fully accepted the householder must have been scared and alarmed at his attendance at her house.

He explained Turnbull had taken amphetamine and he was hallucinating at the time.

Mr Severin said: "He thought people were trying to break in and he was paranoid someone was out to get him and he was looking for a place of refuge hence why he was found within the property."

Mr Severin said there was some evidence the father-of-four may have been assaulted during the incident.

Turnbull was fined £200 for being found at the property when it was reasonably inferred he intended to commit theft with a £10 victim surcharge.

He was also ordered to carry out 60 hours’ unpaid work for breaching bail conditions.