A prolific criminal who embarked on a scheme to steal plush cars from Dundee driveways has won an appeal against his sentence.
Robbie Mill was jailed in January for 17 months for the car crime spree while subject to nine separate bail orders.
A sheriff slated Mill and his accomplice, Ryan Robertson, for the “pre-meditated” thefts across “significant geographical spread”.
However, Mill has now been freed from custody after appeal court judges quashed his jail term and imposed unpaid work.
The 20-year-old had been locked up after being previously spared jail at Dundee and Forfar Sheriff Courts for a string of offences.
They included 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.
Car crime
Mill and Robertson were caught after leaving their DNA and fingerprints inside the Range Rovers they stole.
Vehicles with keyless ignitions were stolen in the early hours of the morning before being found in Fife towns with fake registration plates.
Robertson and Mill, who acted with others, pled guilty to four offences committed between October 2022 and April 2023.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how 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.
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.
Sentence quashed
Solicitor Anika Jethwa lodged an appeal on Mill’s behalf at the appeal court in Edinburgh.
Her client had previously been made subject to a community payback order but was unable to perform unpaid work because of a long-term leg injury.
The Courier understands Mill had been completing duties within Polmont young offenders’ institute after making a recovery.
Ms Jethwa previously told Sheriff Gregor Murray, the sentencing sheriff, Mill had reconciled with his partner and had not committed any offences since 2023.
The appeal was heard by judges Lord Matthews and Lord Clark who quashed the sentence and imposed a direct alternative to custody of 200 hours unpaid work and two years of supervision.
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