A robber stole cash and goods worth £8000 to fund his dream of becoming an architect.

Shane Reilly, of Orleans Place, Dundee, and a gang of associates targeted nine shops and takeaways across Dundee over a period of a month, the city's sheriff court heard on Tuesday.

His lawyer claimed the 21-year-old wanted to become an architect and had started a college course in August to set him on that path.

When the college approached Reilly for fees he turned to crime to allow him to continue his studies.

He was snared when police reviewed CCTV evidence from the scenes of the robberies and traced Reilly to his home, where they discovered the stolen property.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson said the gang had targeted Paperchase Wholesale in Wester Gourdie Industrial Estate in Dundee twice in the space of 24 hours.

A week later they broke into the Tesco superstore on South Road, smashing through a fire door and making off with cash and electrical items.

Two days afterwards, they went back to the same shop and stole another £2000 worth of goods.

Reilly pleaded guilty on indictment to nine charges of theft by housebreaking.

Solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin, defending, said: "It may be a pipe dream but his goal is to become an architect.

"He enrolled in college in August and was shortly after told he had to pay the monies due or he could no longer continue his course.

"Had he at that time taken advice he could probably have been entitled to financial assistance. But he instead became involved in these offences."

Sheriff Alastair Brown remanded Reilly in custody and deferred sentence until January for background reports.

He said: "I can see at present no basis in which I can avoid imposing a significant prison sentence."