A Dundee trio targeted all three vehicles parked outside a single home in Arbroath in the same night.
Kieren McAnearney, Daniel Stewart and Kevin O’Donnell arrived at the property in Moonlight Gardens on July 4 2021 and each entered vehicles parked outside.
O’Donnell helped himself to a private-plated Audi RS3, which was later found burned out near a farm at the edge of the city.
McAnearney stole a Vauxhall Adam, taking it through Dundee on a dawn joyride before abandoning it.
Bungling Stewart was unable to move the Nissan work van from the property but left his DNA on the key in the ignition.
3 thefts from single property
Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson told Forfar Sheriff Court all the residents’ vehicles were parked outside the property on the evening of July 3 2021 but when they woke at 7am, only one remained.
O’Donnell was spotted driving the Audi in Dundee at 4.30am, while a tracker on a phone inside the Vauxhall Adam McAnearney stole showed the car was in the Pleasance Court area of the city.
In the afternoon of July 4, the car was found in an underground car park there.
However, at 5am that morning, the Audi was reported by a member of the public as being burned out at a farm.
O’Donnell was caught after being seen driving it, while McAnearney’s DNA was recovered from the steering wheel, gearstick and handbrake of the Adam.
O’Donnell, of Ancrum Court and McAnearney, listed as prisoners in HMP Perth, each admitted stealing a car, while Stewart, of Candle Lane, admitted attempting to steal the van.
Both McAnearney and O’Donnell were on two separate bail orders at the time.
Admissions
31-year-old O’Donnell’s solicitor Jane Caird said: “He fully accepts he has a record.
“The offence date is almost three years old – since then, Mr O’Donnell has had various prison sentences.”
Gary Foulis, appearing for 27-year-old Stewart, said his client’s offence would ordinarily appear on a summary complaint if in isolation.
“Mr Stewart was, a little bit like Mr O’Donnell, living a quite chaotic lifestyle,” he said.
“He was making poor decisions.
“He has one previous conviction for dishonesty, that was in March 2019 in the JP court.”
Mr Foulis said his client has also been on a bail curfew from 7pm to 7am for 18 months in connection with the matter.
30-year-old McAnearney’s solicitor Kyra Strachan explained her client was released from jail in January.
O’Donnell was jailed for eight and a half months, Stewart was admonished and MacAnearney, who was released from prison earlier this year, had sentencing deferred for background reports.
He will return to the dock on June 13.
Criminal records
In January, O’Donnell was jailed for two and a half years after being convicted of spraying paintballs from the vehicle he was travelling in.
McAnearney appeared in the dock alongside him, but no case was found to answer in respect of him.
O’Donnell also has convictions for domestic offending and possessing a machete while he was a passenger in a police chase.
McAnearney was jailed at Forfar Sheriff Court last year after admitting a string of raids on business premises in Dundee.
In 2021, he admitted another joyriding offence.
On that occasion, he led police on a chase right across the greens of Caird Park golf course in Dundee.
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