A thief stole a Mercedes from a sleeping family’s home in Fife and left it with £20,000 worth of damage after crashing into a wall.
Jordan McMillan admitted stealing the car keys and vehicle in Kinghorn – while acting with another person – on August 11 2020.
His DNA was later found on a hammer and airbag inside the car, which was abandoned after colliding with the garden wall in Burntisland.
In June 2021, McMillan was also caught on camera snooping around properties and trying door handles in Kinghorn and Burntisland.
He later assisted in the escape of another man when police caught up with them.
McMillan appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court via video link from Perth Prison to admit a string of charges.
£22k crash
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland told the court a Mercedes GLA 200 had been parked outside a family home in Kinghorn’s Birch Avenue on the night of August 10 2020.
At about 2am the next morning, a woman driving back from Kirkcaldy to Burntisland saw the stolen vehicle being driven erratically.
A short time later she drove past Collinswell Drive, Burntisland, and saw it had crashed into a wall.
The fiscal said a resident in the street was woken up by a “bang” at about 2:10am.
“He looked out and saw the stolen vehicle had crashed into his garden wall.
“The airbags had been deployed but he could not tell whether anyone was in the car, so he contacted 999 and asked for an ambulance.
“Police attended at 2:30am. No one was in the car, and there was extensive damage to the vehicle.”
A hammer was found inside, which did not belong to the car owner and McMillan’s DNA was found on it.
£20,000 of damage had been caused to the car and £2000 to the wall.
McMillan admitted theft and failing to report an accident but a careless driving not guilty plea was accepted.
Caught on camera
McMillan also pled guilty to being found in the curtilage of six properties – five in Kinghorn and one in Burntisland – without lawful authority, so it could be reasonably inferred he intended to commit theft, on June 1 2021.
He was, again, acting with another person.
The fiscal depute said he was captured on Ring doorbell cameras or CCTV trying door handles and looking through letterboxes, while carrying what appeared to be crowbar.
One was the same property from which the Mercedes had been stolen ten months before.
McMillan admitted using a tool to try to force open a door and attempting to break into house in Kinghorn, with intent to steal.
The fiscal said a woman had been letting in her cat and shortly after 3am saw McMillan and another male in her back garden trying to “jemmy” open her patio doors.
He said the woman “shook her fist at them and they ran off”.
Assisted custody escape
At around 11:30am that morning, two detectives were travelling on Somerville Street, Burntisland, when they spotted McMillan and his cousin, Brandon McMillan, who were wanted in connection with the offences earlier that morning.
Brandon McMillan tried to run off but was caught and placed in the back of a police car.
Mr Hilland said: “As the officers were placing him in the vehicle, he shouted towards the accused ‘Jordie, gee him a charge, gee him a charge’.”
McMillan pulled at the car door and when told to ‘get back’, pushed an officer on the chest while pulling at the car door.
McMillan lost his balance and fell to the ground with the officer.
Mr Hilland said as the police tried to restrain McMillan, his cousin fled.
McMillan pled guilty to assisting the escape.
Sheriff Robert More adjourned sentencing until September 8 for the production of background reports and McMillan was remanded.
There is much more local court content at our dedicated page here, or join our Courts Facebook page.
