Christopher Archibald committed the attack amid a campaign of theft-related crimes carried out across North Ayrshire in July 2024.
The 40-year-old appeared in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week and pleaded guilty to a total of 22 charges.
Court papers detailed six attempted break-ins with intent to steal, 13 occasions where Archibald was found in the curtilage of homes without lawful authority, where it may be reasonably inferred he intended to commit theft there, two charges of assault and a final incident of entering an insecure dwellinghouse and stealing a quantity of money.
Prosecutor Fraser Alexander told the court that Archibald’s spree started on July 23 last year at a residential property in Dalry.
The 82-year-old female householder had reviewed Ring Doorbell footage that morning noting that he had attended the door at 1am, tried the door handle, pushed against the door and then made off.
Police were contacted and Archibald was later identified from the footage.
Further incidents then took place in Irvine on July 29 when the offender targeted further homes in the Girdle Toll area.
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A further incident saw a 74-year-old male householder awoken by a noise at 6am, immediately observing Archibald standing at his bedroom door.
The OAP asked the intruder what he was doing, prompting him to run away towards the back door.
The pensioner chased after Archibald who then turned and punched the man on the head before leaving the property.
The procurator fiscal depute told the court that the man was receiving chemotherapy for cancer at the time and returned to bed feeling unwell after the assault.
Police were alerted after his daughter visited and noted that he had a black eye – which required no further medical attention.
Archibald would continue to target Irvine homes on July 29, also attending various properties within Bryce Knox Court – a sheltered housing complex.
CCTV captured the shameless crook as he attended the front or back door of six flats – and attempted to open the doors and windows of two others. He was not apprehended at this time.
Archibald continued to offend the following day, again targeting a sheltered housing complex though on this occasion at George Aitken Court in Ardrossan.
Here, the 68-year-old female occupier of a flat was awoken by the sound of a gate creaking outside at around 5am.
She got up to investigate and observed the bandit within her property. Terrified, she screamed – prompting Archibald to motion to her “to keep the noise down”.
He would then leave her home, with the householder noticing shortly afterward that her purse had been opened and £100 in cash had been taken from her.
She proceeded to follow Archibald on to nearby Parkhouse Road and tried to stop him by grabbing a hold of his clothing.
However, the thief pushed her chest – which later caused bruising – before taunting the pensioner by removing the stolen cash from his pocket, waving it at her and laughing.
He then returned the stolen money to his pocket before walking away, leaving the victim “deeply distressed”.
The final incidents on Archibald’s crime spree all took place in the early hours of July 31, once again at sheltered housing in Ardrossan.
One householder at Currie Court found the 40-year within their home, while he was also observed on CCTV trying the door handles of two properties – and approaching the entrance to another.
The court was told that the occupier of one of these flats was a 97-year-old woman.
Defending, solicitor Peter Murray explained that Archibald has a “lengthy record of analogous offending” which dates back over 23 years.
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He stated the record was in keeping with a man who has long-standing drug addiction issues and a dysfunctional childhood.
On the nights in question, he had been taking a “cocktail” of Valium, cocaine and crack – and his desperation to maintain the high had “overwhelmed any sense of personal decency”.
The lawyer added that Archibald offered “no excuse” for his behaviour and was anticipating a lengthy custodial sentence as a result of his actions.
Before passing sentence, Sheriff Colin Bissett had strong words for Archibald.
He said: “I see that you turned 40 while on remand. For most people that is a milestone to look back on life thus far as well as ahead to what is to come.
“Your life has not really started. Looking at your record you have been a plague on society.
“Praying on elderly people in particular, easy pickings to feed your addiction, in my view there is no alternative whatsoever to a custodial sentence.
“I hope that there is some way to get you out of this cycle because your life has been a tragedy from start to finish.”
Archibald was locked up for 32 months, backdated to his initial remand on August 1 last year.