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The Courier
03-05-2025
- The Courier
Curfew order for serial car thief who raided Forfar garage
A one-man crimewave who accelerated away in a test drive car before taking part in a midnight raid on a Forfar garage has been spared jail. Robbie Mill, who has been in and out of detention for stealing Range Rovers from driveways in Dundee, pretended to be interested in buying a man's Fiat Punto, before he jumped into the driver's seat and sped off. Days later, he smashed his way into a repair centre in Forfar's Carseview Road and drove away in a customer's Ford Focus. The 21-year-old appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court for sentencing, having previously pled guilty to the thefts in April and May 2023. The court heard how one of Mill's victims had advertised his Fiat Punto for sale online. Mill answered the advert and made an appointment to view the motor, using his own mobile phone number. When he met the car's owner at his home in Yarrow Place, Mill wandered round the car as if he was carrying out an external inspection. He then jumped into the vehicle and drove off. Mill, who was on three bail orders at the time, was originally charged with assaulting the seller, forcibly pushing him and robbing him of the Punto. He pled guilty to a lesser charge of stealing the car on April 24 2023. The court heard how the vehicle was later found abandoned with Mill's DNA on the steering wheel and handbrake. A pair of socks was also recovered from inside the car. Mill struck again less than two weeks later, this time targeting Forfar repair centre JM Automotive in the early hours of May 6. Detectives found a window at the Carseview Road office had been smashed and several keys inside were missing. A Land Rover from inside the yard had been used to ram open the gates. It was found about 40 feet away from the exit. Mill made off in a customer's Ford Focus ST, worth about £5,000. The vehicle was caught on CCTV leaving the yard at about 2.50am. At 3.35am, it pulled into the Shell garage on Cairnie Road, Arbroath. Mill filled it with £36.46 worth of fuel before leaving without paying. The stolen car was later found abandoned, damaged and wouldn't start. JM Automotive posted a statement on Facebook following the raid. The company's spokesman wrote: 'As a small business owner in these tough times I am absolutely gutted. 'So much hard work that has gone into this place over the past two years to make it what it is today, only to have the place trashed and valued customers' cars stolen so some wee idiots can have a joyride is absolutely disgusting.' He added: 'Can't even imagine the time and money this is going to take up. 'Extra security measures will be taken from now on to ensure the safety of our tools, equipment and any vehicle on the property.' Mill pled guilty to breaking into the repair centre, stealing keys and taking the Ford Focus, as well as stealing fuel later that morning. He further admitted driving while disqualified. The court heard he could not do unpaid work because of a leg injury. Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown imposed a restriction of liberty curfew, ordering him to stay home between 9.30pm and 7am each night for seven months and two weeks. He was banned from driving for five months. In January, Mill was jailed for 17 months for stealing Range Rovers from driveways in Dundee. But he was freed following a successful appeal against his sentence weeks later. Appeal court judges quashed his jail term and imposed unpaid work. He has so far been spared jail for a catalogue of offending, including causing serious injuries to two schoolgirls in a major A90 crash and having sex with underage girls – one of whom he impregnated.
The Courier
24-04-2025
- The Courier
Thursday court round-up — Six times the limit at children's playpark
A drink-driver abandoned his car after crashing into a lamppost near a children's playpark while he was more than six times the limit. was told he was lucky not to have caused more carnage after ploughing through a fence in front of stunned witnesses on Back Loan, Milnathort. The 23-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted driving with an 'extraordinarily high' reading of 135 mics of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 mics. Davidson drove his Fiat Punto down the one-way street at about 12.25pm on November 22 2024, the court heard. Fiscal depute Lissie Cooke said: 'Witnesses heard a loud bang followed by a screeching noise. 'They observed the suspect vehicle had smashed into a fence, causing damage to a lamppost.' One driver had to move his parked car to let Davidson reverse out from the 'significantly damaged' fence. 'The accused then parked his car next to the playpark,' said Ms Cooke. 'He exited the vehicle, before walking away and out of sight.' Locals contacted police and gave them a description of the driver. Officers inspected the car and found an empty alcohol can in the driver's footwell. Davidson was traced at his sister's house nearby. 'He was found to be very intoxicated,' said Ms Cooke. Davidson admitted he was driving and apologised for getting behind the wheel while drunk. He confirmed he had had no more to drink since the crash. When asked to confirm who was driving the Punto, he replied: 'It was me, but I shouldn't tell you that.' Solicitor Lyndsey Barber, defending, said: 'He is extremely fortunate that nothing more problematic happened. 'It is not lost of him that the (breath test) reading is extraordinarily high.' The court heard Davidson was worried he would miss the birth of his son if was sent to jail. Sheriff Clair McLachlan told him: 'You are indeed lucky that you did not do serious injury to yourself or others. 'The custody threshold has been crossed, but given your age I will impose a commnity payback order as a direct alternative.' Davidson, of New Road, Milnathort, was ordered to carry out 188 hours unpaid work. He was placed on supervision for a year and banned from driving for 45 months. A scorned hunter planted poisoned pheasants to frame an Angus estate for wildlife crimes. took revenge against bosses at The Guynd, near Carmyllie, when they revoked his family's right to shoot there. Forfar Sheriff Court heard how the 38-year-old and his late father Anthony went onto the estate and laid down gamebird carcasses laced with rat poison. Burgoyne's DNA was found on the legs of all four pheasants. An electrician has been cleared of driving carelessly before knocking down an 82-year-old woman in Broughty Ferry. Mary Keddie suffered injuries after being struck by the Nissan Navara pick-up being driven by on January 22 2024. The pensioner was crossing the road at Gray Street towards Brook Street when Pickett turned right from Brook Street towards the level crossing. Prosecutors alleged that former serviceman Pickett, 43, failed to keep a proper lookout for other road users and pedestrians. CCTV footage played at Pickett's trial at Dundee Sheriff Court showed that the Mrs Keddie was halfway across the road when she was 'nudged' by the pick-up before falling. Pickett, of Brechin, immediately stopped and helped Mrs Keddie, including calling an ambulance. The front offside wheel of the pick-up appeared to be the only part of the vehicle that was within the left lane. Giving evidence in his defence, Pickett said he was briefly dazzled by the low sun reflecting off the wet road surface as well as having his vision partially obscured by the A-pillar of the pick-up. The A-pillar forms part of the uprights that support any car's windscreen. Finding Pickett not proven, Sheriff George Way said: 'From a criminal point of view, we have to be careful not to take the circumstances and work backwards. 'There was the issue of the turn. I accept he's a little tight but none of that really changes anything. 'I am of the view there are such things as genuine, non-criminal accidents. 'In this case, the driving – whilst it was not perfect – it can't be a council of perfection.' A peeping tom who planted a hidden camera in a woman's bedroom to record her getting undressed was 'very fortunate' not to be jailed, his victim said. Twisted concealed an iPhone spycam in a flower vase at the foot of the 65-year-old's bed and recorded more than 40 hours of footage. He was caught when the woman discovered the camera, attached by Velcro, while rearranging the artificial bouquet. Thomas appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted one charge of voyeurism under the Sexual Offences Act 2009 between January 29 and July 29 2023. The 49-year-old former offshore worker, who has a previous sexual conviction for secretly filming a female colleague on an oil rig, has narrowly avoided a prison sentence. His victim told The Courier of her 'shock and horror' upon finding the camera, and said she wanted to attend the sentencing hearing to give Thomas a 'reality check'. A 26-year-old man downloaded nine child sexual abuse images to his phone. sick material included pictures of boys as young as seven, Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard. The offending took place at an address in Denfield Place, Kirkcaldy, on February 18 this year. Prosecutor Duncan MacKenzie told the court Coote is assessed as a high-risk registered sexual offender and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order which was previously imposed in England. It means he gets home visits from police. Two police officers visited Coote at the address in Denfield Place at around 6:20pm and a Samsung phone was provided. Following an examination of the phone, nine images were found depicting child sexual exploitation and abuse. The images involved boys estimated to be aged between seven and 14 engaged in sexualised posing and exposing genital areas. All of the images were assessed as category C. Coote, who appeared in court by video link to prison, pleaded guilty to a charge he did take or permit to be taken or make indecent photographs of children. Defence lawyer Alistair Burgleigh said Coote has been remanded in custody since February 19. The solicitor said his client has a previous conviction 'in relation to an analogous matter'. Sheriff Robert More noted the low number of category C images and that, with regard to Coote already spending two months in custody, he considers the likely greater public benefit in exploring, in the first instance, alternatives to a custodial sentence. The sheriff adjourned sentencing until May 20 to obtain background reports and released Coote on bail meantime. Coote has been placed on the sex offenders register.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Fiat Showed A Born This Way Edition Punto In 2011 That It Insisted Wasn't A Lady Gaga Special Edition
Picture it — Bologna, Italy, December 2011. You're making your way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and you're auto show bound. You push past the crowds that used to swarm auto shows, and walk up to the Fiat booth. You spot the most powerful version of the updated Punto hatchback, and notice something unusual. No, not the unique matte yellow paint with metal flake in it, though that does look nice. Do those seats say "born this way"? They sure do. Fiat produced a "Born This Way" special edition of its then-new Punto that it insisted wasn't inspired by Lady Gaga's impregnable anthem "Born This Way," which was conveniently released earlier that year. Fiat claimed that its Punto Born This Way concept was created by the Fiat Style Center to showcase the new Punto's decisive, passionate and magnetic spirit. Sure, Fiat. Nobody would want to capitalize on the pop star's feel-good anthem of the year, arguably of the decade. Articles written about the Punto Born This Way concept from 2011 stress that the special edition was not associated with Lady Gaga, though they cited the ironic timing of the two uses of the phrase. Read more: Pokémon Go Was A Plot To Use Your Data To Fast Track An AI-Slop Google Maps Competitor The Fiat Punto Born This Way show car featured the most powerful engine that Fiat had planned for the Punto at the time of reveal, a 1.4-liter MultiAir turbo four that produced 135 horsepower and about 152 pound-feet of torque. That's not particularly polarizing, but its details sure were. The Born This Way special edition was shroud in a bespoke combination of Fiat's "to touch" matte yellow paint that also contained metal flake to make it sparkle. It also had a contrasting gloss black roof, door handles, and 17-inch alloy wheels as well as a custom B-pillar design. The real Born This Way influence is apparent on the show car's interior where parts of the dashboard and the center portion of the seat upholstery were emblazoned with "Born This Way" messaging in distressed yellow and gray block letters. Fiat called it "InkLeather" upholstery and justifies its distressed appearance as a "lived-in" effect. Regardless of its justification, the pattern also featured words including provocative, irreverent, open minded, daring, and iconic. Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" was an anthem encouraging radical self-acceptance, regardless of your perceived flaws and/or unique traits. Details about the 2011 Fiat Punto Born This Way edition are slim, but it doesn't look like it ever made its way to production. I'm not mad that it didn't get produced; while I like the paint color and the 'high performance' powertrain, the interior is a bit gauche. I wonder what known automotive enthusiast Lady Gaga thinks about it. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
