A Ballingry man with an extensive criminal record was found lurking about two homes planning to steal from them.

However, prolific offender Steven Carruthers was unable to carry out his sentence of unpaid work.

As a result, the 52-year-old, from Martin Crescent, appeared back in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court and was sentenced again.

Carruthers previously admitted that on September 3 last year he was found in the curtilage of a house in Sycamore Crescent, Lumphinnans, without lawful authority whereby it could be inferred he intended to commit theft there.

He also committed the same offence at a neighbouring property.

In October, Sheriff Grant McCulloch told Carruthers he would impose unpaid work “to give you something to do and as a punishment”.

The sheriff put Carruthers on a community payback order with 85 hours of unpaid work.

Defence solicitor Amy Harley had told the court on that occasion: “He accepts his drug use is a risk factor in his offending. There’s not much I can say to get around his record.”

However, the court has now been told that Carruthers is deemed to be unfit to complete the unpaid work.

Sheriff Craig McSherry revoked the order and in its place put Carruthers on a restriction of liberty order for three months.