A car thief stole 16 Ford Fiestas and eight other vehicles from across Fife and Tayside last year.
Jordan Watson mainly targeted Fiestas but stole other cars including a Volkswagen Golf, a Fiat and a Nissan pick-up from March 20 to November 20 2023.
Prosecutor Ronnie Hay said in one incident Watson stole a van containing about 200 parcels while it was parked outside a premises in Dunfermline for just minutes.
He was caught on CCTV using a Rover Freelander – taken a few nights before from a Dunfermline address – to steal a car transporter trailer from a driveway in Glenrothes.
He also broke into a shed at a farm near Blairadam and took a quad bike and power tools including a chainsaw.
On separate dates last autumn he stole registration plates from a brown Ford Fiesta in Dunfermline and a grey Ford Mondeo in Dundee.
Most of the vehicle thefts took place in the Dunfermline area but Watson’s offending ranged from South Queensferry to Broughty Ferry.
Mr Hay said proof of the crimes came from DNA, CCTV, phone cell site analysis and images and videos on Watson’s phone.
The 20-year-old, of Muirton Terrace, Kelty, appeared for sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court after earlier pleading guilty to 27 charges.
Details on the value of the cars were not given in court and the total number of vehicles recovered was unclear.
‘Planning and ingenuity’
Speaking in mitigation this week, defence lawyer Lucy Boylen said Watson was offending to “feed a drug habit and pay off drug debt”.
The former apprentice mechanic has been working full-time as a tyre fitter in Perth since April this year and has abstained from drug misuse for eight months, she said.
Sheriff Robert More told Watson his criminality meant “tremendous” loss to the victims, with the overall value of the thefts reaching “tens of thousands of pounds, if not more”.
He said the thefts involved “extensive planning” and “significant ingenuity” and their premeditated nature could be marked by an extensive period in detention.
But he noted courts should not impose detention unless there are no alternatives and young person sentencing guidelines applied.
He noted Watson’s immaturity history of childhood trauma highlighted in social work reports.
Sheriff More said of his job: “I cannot think of a factor which offers greater protection against future criminality” and said detention would lead to him losing that – against the public interest.
Instead he was given a 200-day curfew and a year of offender supervision.
Car crimes
Watson also appeared in court to be sentenced for various other crimes.
The sheriff banned him for a year for driving a car with excess cocaine in his system (16mics/10) on the A913 towards Balgarvie Road, Cupar, on November 22 last year.
Watson also previously admitted three dangerous driving charges, two offences of driving unaccompanied and without ‘L’ plates while a provisional driver, and one of driving without insurance.
On February 21 2022 he “drove in circles” around a marked police vehicle at Cowdenbeath FC car park and, at Leuchatsbeath Drive, performed “doughnut manoeuvres” on grass there and drove onto a footpath close to pedestrians.
On March 16 2022 at Balhousie Street and Balvaird Place in Perth, he drove at excessive speed and failed to stop for a pursuing marked police vehicle with blue flashing lights, drove onto the opposing carriageway and accelerated harshly.
He had a knife in his possession without reasonable excuse or lawful authority on the same date.
On November 22 last year on the A92 southbound from Dundee, Watson repeatedly slowed and sped up and veered into an opposing carriageway and compelled other oncoming drivers to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
Sheriff More deferred sentencing on those cases until December 5 for Watson to be of good behaviour.
Full list of crimes
Ford Fiesta thefts
- Main Street, Balcurvie, Windygates, March 20
- Factory Road, Buckhaven, between July 18 and 26
- Junction at Echline Avenue and Echline Green, South Queensferry, August 2 or 3
- Tantallon Court, Glenrothes, August 7 or 8
- Hope Place, St Monans, August 8 or 9
- Mount Pleasant, Leslie, August 31
- Johnston Crescent, Dunfermline, August 31 or September 1
- Moray Park, Dalgety Bay, September 6th
- Hugh Place, Lochgelly, September 17th
- Limepark Crescent, Kelty, September 20
- Burns Street, Dunfermline, September 30
- Osprey Crescent, Dunfermline, October 2
- Chestnut Grove, Dunfermline, October 3
- Peasehill Gait, Rosyth, October 5 or 6
- Dunnock Road, Dunfermline, October 9 or 10
- Middlebank Street, Rosyth, October 10 or 11
Other thefts
- Lifan vehicle at New Row, Dunfermline, May 13
- Van at The Olive Tree, St Leonards Street, Dunfermline, May 21
- Nissan pick-up at Kirkton Farm, north of Culross, June 6
- Quad bike and power tools at Lochran Farm, near Blairadam, August 8 or 9
- VW Golf at Falkland Crescent, Broughty Ferry, September 12 or 13
- Fiat at Watson Place, Dunfermline, October 3
- Rover Freelander at South Dewar Street, Dunfermline, October 17 or 18
- Car transporter trailer at Fingask Avenue, Glenrothes, October 21
- Aattempted theft of an Abarth at Braemar Gardens, Glenrothes, October 23 or 24
- Ford Fiesta registration plates at Chalmers Street, Dunfermline, October 21 or 22
- Ford Mondeo registration plates at Buttars Terrace, Dundee, November 20
In February, The Courier reported on another prolific car thief who targeted Ford Fiestas in particular.
Derrin Gunn’s activities were linked to organised crime.
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