A thief who stole a Transit van, motorbike and trailer in Tayside smashed a police officer’s arm in a close doorway when he was caught.
Banned and uninsured Guy Weston took a Ford Transit van to Glamis from its owner’s home in Knowehead, Kirriemuir and loaded it up with a Kawasaki motorcycle from a property in Strathmore Terrace.
Weston also took a trailer from Main Street in Glamis overnight between April 22 and 23 this year.
The former scaffolder was chased by police through Dundee, where he crashed into a bollard but kept going.
Eventually he fled on foot and attacked a constable trying to stop him.
He will be sentenced next month but remains behind bars for now.
Offending
Fiscal depute Christine Allan told Dundee Sheriff Court 40-year-old Weston was unemployed at the time of the offence.
She explained the Transit van’s owner parked and secured the vehicle that Friday evening.
The trailer owner had parked up for the weekend at a similar time, although the trailer could not be locked.
The next morning, the van, trailer and motorbike – worth £2,500 – were all missing.
Police were contacted and officers found the Transit had a tracker fitted.
They were sent to look for the vehicle just before 8.30am and saw Weston driving it towards them on Court Street in Dundee.
He began accelerating aggressively and travelling at excessive speeds to evade police.
They followed him along Sandeman Street, Tannadice Street, Provost Road, Marryat Street, Caird Avenue and Strathmore Avenue.
On Caird Avenue, he collided with a bollard but sped off anyway.
Eventually the van was pinned against a wall by police, but Weston fled on foot through yards around Strathmore Avenue.
Being chased, he tried to hide in a common close and slammed pursuing PC Frazer Butter’s arm in the doorway, trying to punch him as well.
He was detained and found to be disqualified and uninsured.
The motorbike was found inside the stolen van and while Weston was in police custody, the trailer he stole was discovered.
Admissions
Weston was brought to court from HMP Perth where he has been remanded since appearing in private the day after being caught.
He admitted all three thefts, driving dangerously, without insurance and while disqualified and also assaulting PC Butter.
Solicitor James Laverty said: “From around 14 February 2022 until not long before this particular incident, Mr Weston had actually been doing well within the community.
“He’d been drug free.
“He had been the victim of a serious unprovoked assault.
“He became extremely anxious and depressed and unfortunately started self-medicating.
“It’s been some time since any community-based disposal has been attempted – I think seven years ago.”
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown deferred sentencing until January 10 for reports and further remanded Weston.
She also imposed an interim driving ban.
Past crimes
In 2021, Weston was locked up for stealing cars, jewellery and electrical devices during a five-day crime spree across Tayside.
With his partner, Natalie Hawes, they targeted an NHS nurse and and elderly couple, before Weston led police on a chase in a stolen Vauxhall Corsa across the Kingsway, before dumping the car in Errol.
Later that year, he as given further time for assaulting a prison guard.
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