A BUNGLING high-value car thief who stole two BMWs worth nearly £60,000 was caught red handed in Barrhead – with the lock for the house he had broken in to in his pocket.

Hapless Kasjan Palcynski was snared by police following a car chase – after falling over a wall when he ditched the stolen 146-miles-per-hour Series 3 BMW he’d been driving.

Palcynski, 28, broke in to the home of a former businessman in May last year.

Palcynski, originally from Poland, swiped the keys for a Series 1 and a Series 3 BMW, worth a combined £55,000.

The Series 3 – a 320d M Sport four-door saloon – was worth £33,000, while the Series 1 – a 116i Sport five-door hatchback – was worth £22,000.

He then took off and the vehicles were reported stolen before he was spotted by officers behind the wheel of the Series 3 BMW a few hours later.

PCs Lesley Rhymer and James Coleman were on duty in an unmarked police car when they spotted Palcynski driving through the streets of Barrhead a few hours later, in the early hours of May 16, 2015.

Giving evidence at Palcynski’s trial, PC Rhymer said they noticed Palcynski as they drove from Barrhead’s Kelburn Street on to Lochlibo Road and gave chase.

She explained: “As the vehicle was passing the driver looked at us. We recognised the car as one of two BMWs reported as being taken during a house break-in earlier in the evening in the Paisley area.

“We turned the car around and began following the blue BMW. The driver turned into a building site or yard which was a dead end. He got out of the car and jumped over a security fence.

“As I got out I shouted at him, ‘Stop! Police!’ He looked back for a moment and then took off over the yard and out of sight.

“We drove out of the yard and round the corner.

“As we did we found the driver lying on the pavement, he was asking for help and holding his leg.

“When I asked him what had happened he said he was running away from the police and he fell off a wall.

“I asked him if he was the driver of the blue BMW and he replied, ‘Yes, I was driving it’.

“An ambulance was called for him and he was searched by PC Coleman – he found a set of keys and a driving licence. Part of a door lock from a house was also recovered from his right trouser pocket.”

Despite being caught with the lock and car keys in his pocket after fleeing the stolen Series 3, Palcynski denied his guilt and went on trial on seven charges, represented by defence solicitor Gordon Ritchie.

Palcynski was cleared of four charges – being in possession of a stolen iPod Nano, being in possession of a stolen satnav, drink-driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident after Mr Ritchie argued there was not enough evidence to convict his client.

But a jury of ten women and five men took less than an hour to find Palcynski guilty of breaking in to the home and stealing the Series 3 and Series 1 BMW – which has never been found.

Claims that the theft of the cars was “aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime” were deleted from the charges after Mr Ritchie successfully argued that could not be proved.

Sheriff James Spy called for Palcynski to be assessed by social workers ahead of sentencing and released him on bail – warning he could be jailed.

As he did so, he said: “Housebreaking is a serious matter.

“I have all options to consider.”