A THIEF made off with £5,000 in cash and ferry tickets after forcing open a till with a crowbar at a Greenock shop.

Joseph Owens carried out the raid on the Co-operative Food store in Eldon Street hours after he was stopped by police in the town and allowed to go on his way.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty at Greenock Sheriff Court this week to targeting the store in the early hours February 12, 2023.

Owens, who admitted a charge of theft by housebreaking, was alleged to have acted along with 24-year-old Andrew Rennie, of Berwick Road, in carrying out the night-time raid.

But prosecutors accepted Mr Rennie's plea of not guilty to the same charge.

Fiscal depute Maria Murdoch told the court that Owens, of Ness Road, had been driving a car when he was stopped by police at around 12 noon the day before the incident.

Officers took a note of his description but, Ms Murdoch said, he was ultimately "allowed to go on his way".

But at 2.09am the next morning police received a call from security staff who had been monitoring the Co-op store remotely.

Officers were told that entry had been gained to the building by the forced opening of a fire door.

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The description given of Owens matched that which had been noted down by police earlier.

The court heard that Owens opened a till by force using a crowbar, taking £2,500 in cash, and ferry tickets worth a further £2,500.

Police arrived at the store at around 2.20am but, the court heard, did not find anyone inside.

They did, however, observe damage to the till area.

Officers later obtained CCTV footage which showed Owens running off in the direction of a nearby street.

He was later arrested on suspicion of housebreaking, and made no reply when he was cautioned and charged.

Sheriff Sheena Fraser deferred Owens’ sentencing to allow for the preparation of social work reports, noting that she would ‘have to consider a prison sentence’.

He is due to return to court on December 3.