'Scotland's dumbest criminal' set fire to himself while torching cars for gang
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith also imposed an eight-month supervised release period to protect the public from serious harm once Gibb is freed from jail.
A bungling gangland enforcer has been called "Scotland's dumbest criminal" by a sheriff after he set fire to himself while torching cars.
Hapless hood Darren Gibb, 33 was jailed for two years after a court was shown footage of him fleeing from the scene with his hand on fire.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard Gibb was acting on the orders of gangland figures to set fire to three vehicles across the city in targeted attacks. Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith also imposed an eight-month supervised release period to protect the public from serious harm once Gibb is freed from jail.
The sheriff said: "He set fire to himself clearly in one of the videos. He's running with one of his hands on fire because the accelerant has gone on himself - Scotland's dumbest criminal.
"You pled guilty to three charges of wilful fireraising on three dates. You intended to cause financial harm and inconvenience to the owners of the vehicles.
"These acts were pre-meditated. You said you had been asked to set fire to the cars on behalf of another criminal or criminals. You attended in dark clothing and used accelerant and the crimes were pre-planned. Your blameworthiness is high and your case involves multiple victims.
"There was the potentiality of serious harm or even death by your actions. Your crimes were committed solely for your financial gain. You were acting as enforcer for a drug dealer.
"You were indebted to those who asked you to commit these crimes and you gained financially by having debts written off. You are not of good character generally.
"In committing one of the offences you managed to set fire to yourself and were lucky not to sustain a more substantial burn injury."
The court heard Gibb caused £44,300 worth of damage to a Volkswagen Golf, a Toyota Aygo, an Audi A6 and a Mercedes-Benz.
Dramatic video footage played to the court showed the ferocious flames that engulfed the cars, which were started with accelerant.
Residents in the Charleston Drive area overheard a loud bang in the early hours of September 19 last year. Prosecutor Stephanie Paterson said: "One of the witnesses looked out the living room window and could see the silver Volkswagen Golf to be on fire.
"Two to three males in black were seen to run away. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended to extinguished the blaze and deemed it to be wilful."
Plastic on the back of the nearby Toyota Aygo was damaged as a result of the fire with scene examiners later discovering the melted remains of a jerry can within a black rucksack.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Gormless Gibb also left the key fob to his partner's home at the scene of the crime. On October 24, he struck again after hiring a taxi to an address in Kirkton shortly after 4am.
Ms Paterson said: "At around 5.15am, the witness was woken by a loud bang at the front door and observed the silver Audi in the driveway on fire with flames emanating from the wheel arches.
"The words 'let's go Megan' were spray painted on the ground. The court was told that this was a message relating to the daughter of a neighbour. The court heard how Gibb was caught on Ring doorbell footage two days later setting fire to an Audi on the same street.
He again used accelerant on the bonnet of the car, before running away in the direction of Old Glamis Road. The desperate owner used a hose to try to put out the flames before fire crews and police descended on the scene.
Police arrested Gibb a short distance away and the firebug, who had burn marks on his hand, replied: "I've not done nothing at all."
Gibb's clothing smelled of petrol with the court hearing how part of his jacket had been melted.
Officers later searched his partner's flat, where nozzles for jerry cans were discovered in a vacuum pack. Gibb, from Dundee, pled guilty to three charges of wilful fireraising on two separate streets in Dundee.
Solicitor Mike Short said Gibb "chose to follow instructions" from more serious and organised criminals after mounting up drug debts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Man dies at Scots beach as cops race to scene
The tragedy came as a heatwave blasted the country today BEACH TRAGEDY Man dies at Scots beach as cops race to scene Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN has tragically died at a Scottish beach after falling ill as temperatures soared to 26C today. Emergency services raced to the scene at Saltcoats beach, in North Ayrshire, earlier this afternoon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Mercy crews raced to the Saltcoats beach this afternoon Credit: Alamy The alarm was raised just before 3pm after police received reports of a man taking unwell. When they arrived, they found a 44-year-old man on the beach near Montgomerie Crescent. But he was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. Scores of mercy crews scrambled to the beauty spot this afternoon, including ambulances and a resuscitation rapid response unit. An air ambulance was also spotted in the sky, hovering over Saltcoats and Ardrossan beaches. The helicopter was seen sitting stationary on the beach's promenade, according to the Daily Record. It comes as a heatwave blasted the country today, with temperatures skyrocketing to 26C. The hot weather is expected to last for days, with Scots warned that they will wake to the dawn of a Brazilliant weekend heatwave tomorrow morning. Police have confirmed that they are not treating the death as suspicious. They added that a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal. Man found dead on Scots street as police launch investigation and tape off area A Police Scotland spokesperson told the Daily Record: "At 2.55 pm on Thursday, June 19, we received a report of a man taking unwell on the beach at Saltcoats, close to Montgomerie Crescent. "Emergency services attended and a 44-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. "His next of kin have been informed. "The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal." A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson told the Ardrossan Herald: 'We received a call at 2.38pm to attend an incident at Saltcoats Beach. "An ambulance, an air ambulance with trauma team and a resuscitation rapid response unit (3RU) were dispatched to the scene.'
South Wales Guardian
5 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
‘Unofficial Uber' driver guilty of kidnapping, attempted rape and sexual assault
Graham Head, 68, had latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his silver Mercedes estate when he was arrested in November 2022. In his home, business cards advertising him as a 'N-Uber driver' were emblazoned with the slogan 'Safe and Reliable – For All Occasions' underneath one of his phone numbers. In July 2023, Head, of Pevensey, East Sussex, was handed a 23-year sentence for the kidnap and attempted rape of a 25-year-old woman, along with assault by penetration of a 19-year-old woman. In November 2024, the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction following a complaint from Head relating to the judge who presided over the original trial. On Thursday, he was convicted of all charges again by a jury of seven men and five women after eight hours of deliberation at Lewes Crown Court. During the trial, jurors heard that Head was a 'sexual predator' who 'slipped up' the night he was arrested by police. He claimed that he offered the 25-year-old a lift home but did not touch her and never met his other alleged victim. Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC said: 'The defendant is a sexual predator. Basing himself in Pevensey and ostensibly working as an unofficial Uber driver or taxi driver. 'He was also looking for vulnerable young women who he could sexually abuse. 'He carried Viagra and condoms with him, either on his person or in his car, as well as latex gloves. He would use the latex gloves to minimise the risk of leaving traces of his DNA on his victims.' Head had two mobile phones and was 'savvy enough' to know that if he kept them on while he was driving, the network provider could record his movements so kept them in flight mode while he was searching for victims, the court was told. The two attacks are said to have taken place in the early hours of August 19 2022, in Hove Park and November 18 2022 outside the alleged victim's home. Mr Jarvis said: 'Now in August 2022, she (the first victim) was 19 years old. When she was, we say, intoxicated and vulnerable in the early hours of the morning the defendant sexually assaulted her in Hove Park.' 'In November 2022, she (the second victim) was 25 years old. When she was also vulnerable and intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, Mr Head kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her in his car and then drove off leaving her distressed on the roadside. 'On both occasions, the defendant was driving his grey Mercedes estate motor vehicle with the registration number L21 GRH.' The 25-year-old was able to remember the 'L21' portion of Head's number plate, which led to police pulling his car over and arresting him the same night, jurors heard. 'He slipped up on November 19 2022 in two respects. First because his victim was alert enough to be able to memorise part of the licence plate for the police to be able to identify his car when they saw it,' said Mr Jarvis. The 25-year-old had been on a night out and had consumed alcohol and cocaine on the night in question, the court heard. Her account is that a man pulled up alongside her and told her he was an Uber driver who had just finished his shift but would give her a free ride home. Journeys from Middle Street, in Brighton, where the victim left Monarch Bar, to the victim's home address were found after analysis of the satnav in Head's Mercedes. Mr Jarvis continued: 'He offered to give her a life home but his real plan was to drive around until he was satisfied she was fast asleep so he could sexually assault and rape her. 'He drove close to her home address and tried to rape her in the back seat of his car but she came to and kicked him away.' The 25-year-old has since died and did not give evidence at the trial. Head will be sentenced on August 22 2025.
South Wales Argus
7 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
‘Unofficial Uber' driver guilty of kidnapping, attempted rape and sexual assault
Graham Head, 68, had latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his silver Mercedes estate when he was arrested in November 2022. In his home, business cards advertising him as a 'N-Uber driver' were emblazoned with the slogan 'Safe and Reliable – For All Occasions' underneath one of his phone numbers. Head, of Pevensey, East Sussex, denied kidnapping and the attempted rape of a 25-year-old woman, along with assault by penetration of a 19-year-old woman. On Thursday, he was convicted of all charges by a jury of seven men and five women after eight hours of deliberation at Lewes Crown Court. During the trial, jurors heard that Head was a 'sexual predator' who 'slipped up' the night he was arrested by police. He claimed that he offered the 25-year-old a lift home but did not touch her and never met his other alleged victim. Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC said: 'The defendant is a sexual predator. Basing himself in Pevensey and ostensibly working as an unofficial Uber driver or taxi driver. 'He was also looking for vulnerable young women who he could sexually abuse. 'He carried Viagra and condoms with him, either on his person or in his car, as well as latex gloves. He would use the latex gloves to minimise the risk of leaving traces of his DNA on his victims.' Head had two mobile phones and was 'savvy enough' to know that if he kept them on while he was driving, the network provider could record his movements so kept them in flight mode while he was searching for victims, the court was told. The two attacks are said to have taken place in the early hours of August 19 2022, in Hove Park and November 18 2022 outside the alleged victim's home. Mr Jarvis said: 'Now in August 2022, she (the first victim) was 19 years old. When she was, we say, intoxicated and vulnerable in the early hours of the morning the defendant sexually assaulted her in Hove Park.' 'In November 2022, she (the second victim) was 25 years old. When she was also vulnerable and intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, Mr Head kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her in his car and then drove off leaving her distressed on the roadside. 'On both occasions, the defendant was driving his grey Mercedes estate motor vehicle with the registration number L21 GRH.' The 25-year-old was able to remember the 'L21' portion of Head's number plate, which led to police pulling his car over and arresting him the same night, jurors heard. 'He slipped up on November 19 2022 in two respects. First because his victim was alert enough to be able to memorise part of the licence plate for the police to be able to identify his car when they saw it,' said Mr Jarvis. The 25-year-old had been on a night out and had consumed alcohol and cocaine on the night in question, the court heard. Her account is that a man pulled up alongside her and told her he was an Uber driver who had just finished his shift but would give her a free ride home. Journeys from Middle Street, in Brighton, where the victim left Monarch Bar, to the victim's home address were found after analysis of the satnav in Head's Mercedes. Mr Jarvis continued: 'He offered to give her a life home but his real plan was to drive around until he was satisfied she was fast asleep so he could sexually assault and rape her. 'He drove close to her home address and tried to rape her in the back seat of his car but she came to and kicked him away.' The 25-year-old has since died and did not give evidence at the trial. Head will be sentenced on August 22 2025.
