A pair of car thieves involved in a scheme to steal plush cars from Dundee driveways have been locked up.
Ryan Robertson had only been at liberty for a month when he embarked on the crime spree with child sex abuser Robbie Mill, who was subject to nine separate bail orders.
The clueless crooks were snared after leaving their DNA and fingerprints inside the Range Rovers they stole.
Vehicles with keyless ignitions were taken in the early hours of the morning and found in Fife towns, with fake registration plates.
At Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday, Sheriff Gregor Murray said: “The offences were pre-meditated and covered significant geographical spread.
“You were closely involved in a scheme to steal and disguise the identity of high-value motor vehicles.”
Robertson and Mill, who acted with others, pled guilty to four offences committed between October 2022 and April 2023.
Mill, of Poplar Grey Court, stole two Range Rovers worth a combined £50,000 from Strathyre Avenue and Emmock Woods Crescent, respectively, on April 19 2023.
Owners of both vehicles parked their cars overnight before waking to discover them missing.
Referring to the Strathyre Avenue theft, fiscal depute Lee Corr said: “The vehicle was discovered in Kelty, where it was noticed the registration plates had been changed.
“The vehicle was confirmed to be the same after checking the identification number.
“An empty bottle was recovered from within and the DNA of Mr Mill was found on the mouthpiece and on the inside of the bottle can.
“A jerry can hose was recovered as well as a false front registration plate.
“It was forensically examined and Mr Mill’s fingerprints were found.”
The second Range Rover was later traced in Cowdenbeath, again with a false registration plate.
Mill’s prints were on the genuine front and rear plates, found inside the vehicle.
He replied to being cautioned and charged: “I never stole a Range Rover.”
Robertson stole a £25,000 Range Rover Sport from an address on Clattowoods Drive, which was discovered on the city’s Yarrow Terrace.
The 24-year-old’s DNA was discovered on the driver’s door handle and gear stick.
Robertson, remanded at HMP Perth, also reset a Mini Countryman which had been taken from an address in Tranent in October 2022 which was eventually found in Bridge of Earn, near Perth, in April 2023.
Further car crimes
At Forfar Sheriff Court on Monday, Mill also admitted his responsibility for further car crime in Dundee and Forfar.
His victim had posted an ad online stating he was selling his Fiat Punto and Mill arranged a test drive – using his own mobile number.
After parking up near his home on Dundee’s Yarrow Terrace, Mill wandered around the vehicle, purporting to be carrying out an external inspection before getting back in and driving off alone.
Mill, who was on three bail orders at the time and banned from driving, pled guilty to a lesser charge of stealing the car on April 24 in 2023.
The Punto was later found abandoned with Mill’s DNA on the steering wheel, handbrake and two socks recovered from the vehicle.
Mill targeted Forfar repair centre JM Automotive in the early hours of May 6 2023 where the business’ office was broken into with a Land Rover used to ram the gates open before being abandoned 40 feet away.
A customer’s Ford Focus ST worth £5,000 was stolen and The Focus was captured on CCTV leaving at 2.50am and other keys were missing from the office.
At 3.35am, the Focus pulled into the Shell garage on Cairnie Road in Arbroath, and Mill filled it with £36.46 worth of petrol then left without paying.
The stolen car was found abandoned, damaged and not starting.
Jailed
Mill has a host of previous convictions which include leaving a girl permanently scarred after setting fire to her leggings, causing two schoolgirls serious injuries in a major A90 crash and having sex with underage girls – one of whom he impregnated.
He was placed on community payback orders, with solicitor Anika Jethwa saying her client was unable to perform unpaid work due to a long-term leg injury that had worsened.
She said: “He got himself involved in a great deal of offending but he’s making efforts to change his life around and is engaging with the current orders.
“He has reconciled with his partner and they have a child now.”
In November 2022, Robertson was jailed for 16 months after stealing £23,000 worth of designer goods during a one-man crime spree.
Solicitor Jim Laverty said his client – who appeared via video link from HMP Perth – was “realistic” about receiving another jail term.
Robertson received an 18-month sentence while Mill was ordered to serve 17 months in custody.
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