A BMW blew up and destroyed other cars after a Dundee crook was seen tampering with its wires.
Soot-covered David Hill told onlookers, “I didn’t mean it” after the dramatic incident near Lochee’s High Street in February 2022.
The BMW 320, a Ford Fiesta and a Toyota Aygo were written-off due to the carnage he caused.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the incident took place at the car park near the British Heart Foundation store, off Burnside Street.
Hill was spotted sitting in the driver’s seat of the BMW – which he did not own – by a witness who believed he was committing a crime.
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie said: “The accused was sat in the driver’s seat of the BMW and seen to be tampering with wires.
“The witness contacted police after believing the car was being broken into.
“Another witness saw him walking away after the car exploded.
“The accused said ‘I didn’t mean it’.
“Other cars caught fire and the accused was seen running away.”
Hill, 31, was noted to have suffered a burn to his face and was covered in soot.
He denied deliberately setting fire to the cars.
Firefighters attended and extinguished the blaze but it could not be determined how the fire started.
The owner of the BMW said it had been bought just a few weeks prior to its destruction.
It was valued at £1,500.
The other two vehicles were said to have been worth £2,500 combined.
Hill, formerly of Adamson Court but on remand at HMP Perth, pled guilty to culpably and recklessly setting fire to the cars on February 8 2022.
Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence until June for reports to be prepared.
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