A Dundee man has been convicted of almost 20 charges of theft and fraud after a crime spree in which he stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of property.
Ryan Robertson, 22, stole cars, fuel and a mountain bikes and even tried to pay for a McDonald’s dinner with a stolen card between May and October last year.
His six-months of criminality saw him pinch a Rolex watch and a laptop from an industrial unit and take a chainsaw from the back of a Bear Scotland worker’s van.
Appearing from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court, Robertson admitted committing 19 offences, including breaching bail and failing to comply with police.
Depute fiscal Lora Apostolova outlined the crimes one-by-one. She said he:
- Breached curfew conditions of bail by failing to be in his registered home address on May 26 between 7am and 7pm
- Stole a £200 chainsaw from a vehicle parked in the car park of McDonald’s restaurant, Forfar
- Stole a £7,000 motorbike after removing its steering lock
- Stole a Mitsibushi L200 car parked at Arbroath Farmhouse on August 16. It was never recovered
- Stole a caravan from a property at Coupar Angus Road, Dundee on August 16, with CCTV showing him driving across the Tay Road Bridge with it. There was no recovery
- Pinched a Rolex watch, a laptop and £400 cash, totalling £8,920, from an industrial unit in Market Mews, Dundee, with no recovery
- Stole a vehicle worth £15,000, which was recovered, from Tayside Diesel Engineering, West Pitkerro Industrial Estate, Dundee
- Broke into the Orchardbank Car Centre, Forfar, and stole a car and car keys, worth £1,210, with £500 recovered
- Stole a vehicle worth £500 from Tayside Diesel Engineering
- Broke into a garage on Pitairlie Road, Newbigging, stealing £6,000 worth of mountain bikes. His DNA was found on a screwdriver left at the scene
- Paid for a £23 meal at McDonalds with a stolen card
- Purchased £15 from Jet Garage, Dundee, with a stolen card
- Was caught on CCTV at Muirhouse Farm stealing fuel
- Drove dangerously from Fintry Road on to Fountainbleu Drive and toward Caird Park while being chased by police. He also refused to stop when told to do so by police
- Drove without a licence
- Twice breached bail conditions.
Sheriff Gregor Murray remanded Robertson in custody, adding: “I will defer sentence for reports, because of your young age and it is possible I will impose an extended sentence on your release.
“I will disqualify you from driving from today on an interim basis.”
Robertson will return to court on November 25.
