An 18-year-old thief stole a car belonging to a teacher at his former high school.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard Liam Kelly somehow managed to steal the keys from the teacher’s jacket pocket inside Auchmuty High School in Glenrothes.
About two weeks later, Kelly went on to steal a van belonging to a friend at whose house he was staying.
The court heard the first theft took place on Halloween morning this year.
Car found badly damaged
Procurator fiscal depute Laurelle Johnstone said the teacher left his vehicle parked and secured in the school car park and went to work.
At around 11:30am, another teacher saw Kelly in the car park and thought it was “a bit suspicious” but nothing more was done at the time.
Ms Johnstone continued: “Shortly after, (the teacher) was looking for his keys in a jacket pocket and realised they were missing.
“He went to the car park and saw the vehicle was no longer there and contacted the police”.
Kelly was seen driving the vehicle in another part of Glenrothes about half an hour later.
An anonymous caller told police at 4am the next day the vehicle was in Markinch.
Officers found the car, with a provisional driving licence in the name of Kelly inside.
Scratches and dents were found on the boot and rear bumper, the petrol cap was missing and the gearbox and clutch were damaged.
A passenger head rest was missing.
Kelly pled guilty to stealing the car on October 31 this year.
He also admitted driving it without ‘L’ plates or assisted by a qualified driver while on Dovecot Road, Beaufort Drive and elsewhere.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith said: “In relation to the theft of the teacher’s car, he has gone to the school and must have known the teachers hang their keys in the staff room.
“Somehow, he has taken the key from the pocket and entered the vehicle”.
Petrol station calls
Kelly also pled guilty to stealing a Ford Transit van from Burntisland‘s Colinswell Road on November 12 or 13.
The fiscal depute said Kelly was a friend of the owner and had been staying at his house due to being homeless.
Police tracked the vehicle after calls from a Shell fuel station shop assistant and another anonymous caller.
Kelly, of no fixed abode, pled guilty to two charges of not having valid insurance in respect of both stolen vehicles.
He admitted a separate offence of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and throwing items of furniture at an address on July 29.
‘Insight to offending’
Defence lawyer Pauline McKenzie said a social work report shows Kelly has “some insight” into his offending.
The solicitor said Kelly has experienced past trauma, mental health difficulties and problems with alcohol and substance misuse.
Sheriff Niven-Smith highlighted Kelly had attended all appointments offered to him through social work while on bail supervision.
The sheriff sentenced Kelly to carry out 134 hours of unpaid work and made him subject to a two-year supervision order.
His licence was endorsed and he received six penalty points.
Sentence was deferred for three months for Kelly to be of good behaviour in relation to the July charge.
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