SENTENCE has been deferred for three weeks on a man who admitted resetting #20,000 worth of goods which were part of the proceeds of a raid on a Stena Line Depot in January.

William McMillan, 45, of Iona Road, Newmains, Lanarkshire, pleaded guilty to resetting jewellery, clothing, footwear, perfume, electrical goods and cameras from the depot at Dunragit near Stranraer.

The break-in at the distribution warehouse, which stores goods for the company's ships operating on the Belfast crossing, is believed to have netted a haul worth around #150,000.

Stranraer Sheriff Court was told that sometime between January 3 and 4 this year the depot was broken into and goods with a wholesale value of #87,000 were taken. The retail value would be much higher.

Police had mounted a huge operation after the raid and had gone to a house in Newmains where McMillan's girlfriend lived.

McMillan had arrived there during the search and was there when police uncovered a large quantity of goods stored in cardboard boxes, some had ''Stranraer warehouse'' printed on them.

The court heard that McMillan had at first denied knowing the goods were stolen but later admitted they came from the theft at Stranraer. He told police he had stored the goods for a friend and admitted he had more at his own house.

Sheriff James Smith deferred sentence until May 6.