A desperate thief tried flee from suspected county lines drug dealers on a stolen bike.
Scott Flynn broke into a shed on Dundee’s Hazel Drive to steal the £200 bicycle, believing he was being followed by “cuckooing” gangsters from London.
He claimed one of the men was pointing a gun at him from a red Audi on Perth Road.
Flynn did not get far on the bike after he was forcibly removed by its owner, Kyle Dewar.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how Mr Dewar returned from a walk to find Flynn, who he initially believed was his father, in his shed.
‘I want to speak to CID’
Fiscal depute Gavin Burton said: “He then saw that it was the accused. The accused got onto the bicycle that had been locked away in the shed.
“He tried to cycle past the complainer but the complainer grabbed the handlebar, causing the accused to fall off. The accused then ran off.”
The shed door was visibly damaged and Flynn was found nearby by police. In response to being cautioned and charged, he said: “I want to speak to CID.”
The 35-year-old, of Invercraig Place, pled guilty from custody to breaking into the shed on March 24 and stealing the bike.
‘Cuckooing’ fears
Jane Caird, defending, told Sheriff John Rafferty Flynn had been repeatedly approached by men from London to sell drugs from his flat in Charleston.
She said: “He is doing everything in his power to not allow them to take over his flat. He was travelling by foot from his address to his chemist on Perth Road to get his suboxone.
“He says on his way there he saw a red Audi with three of those men he had recognised. He thought that one of them was pointing what he thought was a gun at him and ran away as fast as he could.
“He saw a shed in a garden and decided to wait it out in there. He saw there was a bike and took the opportunity to get away from them.”
Miss Caird added Flynn was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time and had been engaging well with addiction services since being released from custody in January.
Sheriff Rafferty, however, believed only one sentence was appropriate.
He said: “Given the nature of this offence and your record, notwithstanding the eloquent plea in mitigation, a custodial sentence is the only realistic way of dealing with the matter.”
Flynn was jailed for 100 days.