A Renfrewshire man has been jailed after he put fake registration plates on a stolen car and drove it from Lochwinnoch to Elderslie as a banned driver.
Brian Mitchell stole a white Seat Ibiza from a driveway in Lochwinnoch’s Parkhill Drive before he went on to ‘reset’ the registration plates.
The 33-year-old, who was disqualified from the roads at the time, was snared when cops viewed CCTV at the Esso garage where Mitchell drove the car to before heading towards Elderslie.
Mitchell, previously from Johnstone, committed the crime while subject to six separate court orders.
After checks were carried out, cops discovered Mitchell was a banned driver, that he had no insurance and that he had stuck fake plates onto the pinched car.
Procurator fiscal depute Michael Cunningham told Paisley Sheriff Court that a Karin Williamson is the registered keeper of a white Seat Ibiza with only herself and Hamish Williamson insured on the car.
The car also had a registration number beginning with ‘SH19.’
Mr Cunningham explained: “On August 31, around 10.30pm, Ms Williamson checked the back door had her husband’s house keys in the lock with a Seat Ibiza car key attached and both went to bed.
“At 6.45am, Ms Williamson woke up and noted the car to be gone from the driveway where it had been left the previous evening. She also noticed the car keys were missing and police were contacted who attended.”
The court heard a report had been made to police advising the stolen Seat Ibiza had been seen in the Lochwinnoch area around 4am that morning being driven by a male.
Mr Cunningham added: “About 4am, the accused was captured on CCTV driving the vehicle into the Esso filling station forecourt in Paisley.
“The accused then turned right onto Main Road, Elderslie and made off towards Paisley.
“Police, knowing the accused had a previous address in Huntersfield Road in Johnstone, attended there and noted a white Seat Ibiza matching the description of the stolen vehicle but with a registration of ‘FP64 KGN’.
“Police carried out checks which confirmed Mitchell was disqualified from driving.
“PC Brackenridge and McDonald inspected the vehicle and observed it had false plates taped to the front and rear true plates of the ‘SH19’ vehicle.
“The stolen vehicle was then recovered and taken to Polmadie for forensic examination.”
The court heard Mitchell’s DNA was found on the gear stick of the car and on a set of pliers within.
The vehicle was returned to the owners after forensic examination but due to the owners being in fear Mitchell was in possession of the stolen key, they have since traded the car in for a new one.
Defence agent Terry Gallanagh told the court Mitchell, described as a prisoner of Low Moss jail, East Dunbartonshire, “accepts he has a record which means there’s one inevitable conclusion.”
Mr Gallanagh added: “The explanation Mr Mitchell offers is that he suffered four significant bereavements in seven months. His grandfather, both grandmothers and the woman he describes as his mother-in-law.
“He says he was in a dark place at that time. This is a man with a fascination for driving vehicles and had the opportunity to drive this vehicle, and he took it in the knowledge that he was a disqualified driver and that this would be a stolen vehicle.”
Sheriff Gillian Craig said: “I’ve had a look at your record which is riddled with analogous convictions.” Mitchell was jailed for four months and banned him from the roads for 36 months.
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