Theft victim tells jury he is "gutted… heartbroken” over £200k break in

A 76-year-old retired joiner told a jury how he made a daily check on his home while recuperating from an operation and found it had been broken into and more than £200,000 in cash and other items stolen.

Adam Watret slowly shook his head as he described his feelings: “Gutted... heartbroken.”

He had locked up the house in Carnegie Street in Dumfries securely theprevious evening and when he returned next day found his two safes both open and the cash gone along with around $3,000 American dollars, jewellery, medals and a Rolex watch for which he had paid £20,000.

In the dock at Dumfries Sheriff Court, 51-year-old Colin Clark, of Kelton, near Dumfries, pleads not guilty to committing the break in and theft along with two others last September.

He also denied running away from police officers at Kelton just over a weeklater as they were in possession of a search warrant and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He had lodged a special defence of incrimination.

Mr Watret told the court that he had been staying with his brother following an operation earlier in the year but made a daily check on his home.

He told how he had withdrawn £200,000 from the bank five years earlier and kept it in a large safe in the wardrobe of his bedroom with the cash, mainly £100 notes, sealed and hidden under other items.

He had not seen anything wrong initially when he returned to check the house, but then found the curtains in the bedroom were drawn, the light was on and the safe doors open.

A further check showed signs of a claw hammer being used to force a windowin the kitchen area and the back door was slightly open with the key on theinside.The trial before a jury of 9 women and six men, continues.