A serial thief nicked an Audi from a driveway before using it to raid a shop.
John McGrandle went on the stealing spree last December and took the motor to aid his travels.
The 26-year-old stole the blue Audi A3 from a property on Troon Crescent in the early hours of the morning.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that McGrandle – a disqualified driver – and an accomplice later used the car to target GC Stores in Balbeggie.
The crook then stole more than £50 worth of petrol from the Jet filling station on Forfar Road – but was later nabbed thanks to CCTV.
Fiscal depute David Bernard said the owners of the Audi couldn’t recall if they had locked the car, with a vehicle matching its description seen just before 5am at the shop in Balbeggie.
He told the court: “A witness heard a loud bang and the owner made his way downstairs.
“He saw a glass panel had been smashed and two males still in the store, one at the counter with the accused McGrandle near the cigarette display.
“McGrandle jumped up and said ‘come on then’ towards the owner but he just asked them to leave.
“The woman took photos from the upstairs window of the vehicle and could see that the accused McGrandle had an unnatural walk and had injured his leg.”
A balaclava-wearing McGrandle, who had been released from prison just nine days earlier, was seen at the Jet garage at around 5.30am and appeared to be limping.
After receiving information that the car was at an address on Summerfield Avenue, police apprehended McGrandle who tried to escape from the back door of a property. His DNA was found within the car and he also left a sledgehammer and a purse at GC Stores. The total value of goods within and including the car was £12,920.
McGrandle, a prisoner at Perth, pleaded guilty to stealing a black Adidas bag, a small radio, house keys and keys to the Audi on December 30 from Troon Crescent. On the same day, he stole the blue Audi before breaking into GC Stores and stealing £40. Thereafter he admitted stealing £54 in fuel from Jet as well as driving while disqualified.
Solicitor Kevin Hampton said McGrandle had become “institutionalised” and needed help to break the cycle of offending.
He was sentenced to 1,169 days in prison and banned from driving for six years.
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