A man who set fire to a stolen van on a Dundee street has been jailed.
Darren Walker, 33, stuffed the petrol valve of a stolen van with business cards then set alight to them in the incident.
Walker also started a fire in the cab area of the vehicle by using a can of petrol, Dundee Sheriff Court heard today.
The van had been stolen from Tyres 4U, East Dock Street, shortly before the incident by Walker’s co-accused Andrew Shepherd, 31.
Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told the court the incident happened at 1.45am on March 5 last year.
The fiscal said: “Co-accused Shepherd broke into the business and stole a van containing a laptop and various other items.
“He then drove the van away from the locus and on to Broughty Ferry Road where he crashed the van into a wall.
“Witnesses saw the accused come to his assistance and try to push the van back onto the road.
“Both accused were seen shouting at each other and accused Shepherd was seen trying to take items from the van while accused Walker tried to restart the van.”
This continued for around 10 minutes during which time witnesses called police.
Both accused were then seen running away from the van.
Witnesses noticed the van was on fire.
The fiscal continued: “The van was well alight when police and fire engines arrived.
“The fire was safely extinguished and fire fighters noted there were two places where the fire had started, one in the cab area of the van and a second in the petrol valve.
“There were business cards stuffed inside the petrol area of the van and a petrol can found within the cab area.”
The court heard the van was “completely destroyed” in the incident and its value, including tools and various other items inside, was £12,000.
Both accused were traced and Walker was found with a lighter in his pocket.
Shepherd previously admitted breaking into Tyres 4U, East Dock Street, and stealing a van and other items.
These included a laptop, card payment machine, clothing, a rucksack and a quantity of business cards, on March 5 last year.
He was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment in June last year.
Walker, a prisoner at Perth, admitted wilfully setting fire to the same vehicle which took affect and damaged the vehicle, at Broughty Ferry Road, on the same date.
He further admitted failing to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on June 9 last year.
Walker was jailed for two years.
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