A callous thief has been jailed after rifling the pockets of a man who laid injured in the street.

John Paul Burns and a pal stole the jacket of a man who had fallen and hit his head in Irvine’s Bank Street on January 30 this year.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard while concerned passers-by rushed to the man’s aid, an unidentified man swiped the man’s jacket and passed it to 35-year-old Burns, of Fullerton Street, Irvine, who raided the pockets.

The fiscal told the court: “The jacket in question was worn by a man who had fallen and injured his head in Bank Street in Irvine at 3.45pm on January 30. At the time his jacket had been hung outside a shop and people were attending to and helping him.

“Police attended as well and officers noted the accused and another male watching in a nearby shop.

“A member of the public watched the other male who was with the accused approach where the man was being attended to, pick up the jacket and walk away. He was observed passing the jacket to the accused who searched through the pockets of the jacket and a member of the public reported to police what happened.

“The accused passed the jacket to the other male who put it on.”

The court heard officers then approached the men and searched Burns who was found to have a small amount of cannabis in his possession.

Defending Burns, Gillian Swanney said: “It’s fair to say he was under the influence of drugs at the time. I am hoping that your lordship will defer sentence .”

But Sheriff Michael Hanlon replied: “I don’t see any alternative to a custodial sentence.”

Burns was sentenced to 18 weeks in jail.