A car thief who stole 16 Ford Fiestas and eight other vehicles across Fife and Tayside has been praised for the “stunning success” of his community payback efforts for the crimes.
Jordan Watson, 20, was given a 200-day tagging order and a year of offender supervision in September last year, instead of jail time, after earlier pleading guilty to 27 charges.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard Watson mainly targeted Fiestas but stole other cars including a Volkswagen Golf, a Fiat and a Nissan pick-up in a 2023 crime spree lasting from March 20 to November 20.
In one incident he stole a van containing about 200 parcels while it was parked for minutes outside a premises in Dunfermline.
He was caught on CCTV using a Rover Freelander – taken a few nights before from a Dunfermline address – to steal a car transporter trailer from a driveway in Glenrothes.
Proof of the crimes came from DNA, CCTV, phone cell site analysis and images and videos on Watson’s phone.
Speaking in mitigation in September, defence lawyer Lucy Boylen said Watson was offending to “feed a drug habit and pay off drug debt” but obtained work as a car tyre fitter and abstained from drug misuse.
CPO an ‘utterly stunning success’
Former apprentice mechanic Watson, of Kelty, reappeared in the dock this week for a review of his community payback order (CPO).
Ms Boylen said Watson has been “engaging very well” with supervision but lost his job a few weeks ago and is looking for something in the same line of work.
Sheriff Robert More told Watson: “The case in which you pleaded guilty to 27 charges of theft is a remarkable one.
“I cannot remember a case where there has been such a turnaround in circumstances of a person who has engaged in criminality to that extent.
“The CPO, which was a gamble at the time, has been an utterly stunning success as demonstrated by all the reports prepared on your behalf by the social work team and that’s entirely down to your hard work and credit.”
The sheriff allowed Watson’s order, which is due to end in September, to continue without further review but warned any breach means returning to court.
The sheriff wished him success in finding new employment.
Admonished for other crimes
At Watson’s sentencing in September, Sheriff More said the overall value of the thefts reached into the “tens of thousands of pounds, if not more,” and their premeditated nature could be marked by an extensive period in detention.
But he noted Watson’s job offered greater protection against future criminality and detention would mean him losing it, against the public interest.
Sentences for various other crimes were also deferred from September for Watson to demonstrate good behaviour.
He previously admitted two charges of dangerous driving, two of driving unaccompanied and without ‘L’ plates while a provisional driver, one of driving without insurance, and one of knife possession in public.
Court papers say on February 21 2022 he “drove in circles” around a marked police vehicle at Cowdenbeath FC car park and, at Leuchatsbeath Drive, performed “doughnut manoeuvres” on grass there and drove onto a footpath close to pedestrians.
On March 16 2022 at Balhousie Street and Balvaird Place in Perth, he drove at excessive speed and failed to stop for a pursuing marked police vehicle with blue flashing lights, drove onto the opposing carriageway and accelerated harshly. He had the knife on the same date in Balvaird Place.
In relation to the dangerous driving in Cowdenbeath, Sheriff More banned Watson from driving for a year and ordered him to re-sit and pass the extended test of competency.
Watson, who was already on a disqualification order for the Perth case, was otherwise admonished.
The sheriff added: “That’s the end of matters. I wish you the best and don’t fall back into these particular ways”.
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