An Angus thief stole an arsenal of firearms from the car of a pair of rabbit hunters while they slept in a nearby hotel.
Shaun Conway admitted plundering guns and ammunition from a locked vehicle parked outside the Airlie Arms Hotel in Kirriemuir.
The owner of the vehicle and the guns inside had checked into the St Malcolm’s Wynd hotel on May 31 before a rabbit-hunting trip to Glenclova.
Conway was spotted looting the vehicle late at night but the witness who saw him raiding the boot but did nothing as the car alarm had not been activated.
23-year-old Conway made off with a Browning semi-automatic .22 rifle, a BRNO bolt-action .22 rifle and an Anschutz .17HMR rifle.
He also got with three scopes and three silencers.
In total, his ammunition haul from the car was 400 .17 rounds and between 900 and 950 rounds for the Browning.
Along with the silencers, the cache was stored in a galvanised box.
However, Conway did not manage to cash in on his bounty, as a witness spotted the weapons half-submerged in Lintrathen Loch, more than eight miles away.
Firearms stolen
Fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton told Forfar Sheriff Court: “The witness and his son had arrived at the locus next to the Airlie Arms Hotel and entered the hotel.
“The purpose of their visit was shooting rabbits at Glenclova.
“The vehicle was locked from 10pm.
“Between midnight and 12.30am, a witness was woken by banging and rummaging.
“He observed what he thought was a female rummaging in the boot.
“Due to the alarm not going off, he thought nothing of it.”
The visiting hunters returned to their vehicle the following morning and found the guns and ammunition box missing.
Police reviewed CCTV, identified Conway and traced him on June 1.
When he was arrested, he was found to have 2.6 grammes of cocaine in a ziploc bag.
He told police: “For what’s happened, I’m sorry.”
The stolen guns were spotted at 1.30pm that day when someone walking near the loch spotted items sticking out of the water.
As well as the thefts, Conway, of Prosen Road in Kirriemuir, pled guilty to a further charge of having the firearms and ammo without a certificate.
Conway also admitted possessing cocaine.
More thefts
Conway was also sentenced for a series of crimes of dishonesty which occurred later that month.
At 9.10pm on June 29, a Kirriemuir resident received a notification his bank card had been used to buy £28.39 worth of goods at Green’s supermarket in the town.
He cancelled the RBS card and contacted the shop.
From the CCTV, police identified Conway.
When they traced him he was pushing a motorcycle, which he said he had bought on Facebook.
However, he could not provide a name or address for the seller.
Inquiries showed the bike belonged to a Kirriemuir resident who was in France and not due to return until two months later.
Conway admitted stealing the motorbike, theft by finding of the bank card and using it fraudulently.
Back on track
Sheriff Krista Johnston ordered Conway to complete 110 hours of unpaid work and placed him under supervision for nine months.
Defending, solicitor James Caird said: “Mr Conway is very much aware of the seriousness of these matters, in particular the matter involving the firearms.
“He does obviously have a record but certainly not a substantial record.
“These have come out of nowhere.
“There’s a background of some mental health difficulties.”
Mr Caird said Conway was unmedicated for depression and anxiety issues he faced at the time of his offending.
He said: “He realises the seriousness and stupidity of it.
“He seems to have got back on track.”
