A serial thief has been jailed after being paid just £100 to steal whisky worth £336,000 from a lorry yard.
Colin Stephenson, 33, claimed he was given the cash by a gangland boss.
A gang drove the lorry from Stuart Nicol Transport in Shotts, Lanarkshire, but police used a tracker and caught them five miles away after a worker raised the alarm.
At Hamilton Sheriff Court, Stephenson, of Wigan, admitted the theft in May and was jailed for 32 months.
Chloe O'Hara, prosecuting, said: "The vehicle was fitted with a tracker and police located it in Edinburgh Road, Newhouse.
"Officers saw that the cab was detached and the trailer containing the whisky was now attached to another tractor unit.
"Only the driver was present when the vehicle was stopped but Stephenson's DNA was found."
Defending, Dominic Kearney said dad-of-two Stephenson was out of work and under financial pressure.
He added: "He was to be paid a relatively modest sum, £100."
Sheriff Andrew McIntyre told Stephenson: "The exceptionally high value of the property is a considerable aggravation.
"Over many years, you have been involved in similar offending, some of which has resulted in significant sentences."
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