A REPEAT thief tried to flee Inverclyde Royal Hospital wearing only a medical gown and underwear after stealing a staff nurse's phone and bank card, Greenock Sheriff Court has been told.

Alan Smith, who committed an almost identical offence three years earlier, took items from the IRH late last year and attempted to make off while in a state of undress.

The 48-year-old was previously convicted of lifting a mobile, a phone wallet, a number of bank and other cards as well as a driving licence from the hospital's Ward J in September 2020.

The court heard last week that a charge nurse on shift on October 24, 2023 was alerted to Smith trying to 'abscond from the accident and emergency department'.

A prosecutor told the hearing: "She ran after him and observed him wearing a hospital gown, boxers and holding a pink phone which belonged to the staff nurse.

"A bank debit card was also missing."

READ MORE: Opportunistic thief stole phone, bank cards and driving licence from hospital worker

Police attended Smith's address and found a pink phone case and the thief was returned to the ward later that day.

He also stole a handbag and its contents from nearby Orchard View on the same date.

Smith, of Drumfrochar Road, appeared from custody for Wednesday's hearing for sentencing on further theft offences.

He stole razor blades worth almost £36 from The Range on November 27 last year and on February 11 this year, at a property on Drummond Street, he entered an insecure Kia Sportage vehicle and stole a quantity of CDs.

He was previously given a night-time curfew and two years of supervision for the other hospital theft, along with shoplifting a bottle of alcohol from B&M and breaching bail order conditions.

Referring to the recent theft offence from Inverclyde Royal, solicitor Gerry Keenan said: "He was admitted to hospital following a road traffic accident and was given medication which made him feel drowsy.

"He had an addiction to crack cocaine and has very little recollection.

"He didn't know that behind the case of the phone was a bank card.

"He was very quickly caught, in strange circumstances, after leaving the hospital."

Sheriff James Varney deferred sentence on Smith, who is currently locked up, until May 1.