A HADDINGTON man who was found in the garden of a home in the town claimed he was lost and “didn’t know where he was”.

Steven Hay was discovered near to the porch of the home on the town’s Florabank Road by the stunned homeowner, who challenged him as to why he was there.

Hay, of Lammermuir Crescent, told the householder that he was lost and soon made his way from the area.

But the 39-year-old was then picked up by police officers, despite continuing to claim he did not know where he was and had done nothing wrong.

Fiscal depute Aiden Higgins told Edinburgh Sheriff Court: “On April 10, 2016, around 3.30pm the occupier looked out and saw the accused round about the porch area.

“The householder confronted the accused and he said he didn’t know where he was.”

Hay pleaded guilty to being found in the curtilage of the home without lawful authority and it may be inferred that he intended to commit theft there on April 10 last year when he appeared at the city court last Monday.

He also admitted a second charge of resetting items that had been stolen from an Edinburgh home three days prior to the other offence.

Mr Higgins told the court “a break-in had taken place at the [Edinburgh] address earlier that day” and “police had detained the accused on Bridge Street, Haddington”.

Mr Higgins said: “Subsequently, the officers obtained a search warrant for his property and the search found various items, including a satellite navigation system, documents and money, which had been stolen during the earlier housebreaking.”

Hay had originally been charged with breaking into the flat at the Capital’s Dicksonfield on April 7 last year, but the Crown accepted a guilty plea to resetting the goods.

The court heard that there had been full recovery of the goods taken.

Sheriff Thomas Welsh deferred sentence to March 3 for background reports and a Restriction of Liberty assessment to be carried out.