A 20-year-old former apprentice mechanic turned tyre fitter from Fife has been sentenced for a series of car thefts and other offences committed in the Tayside and Fife regions. Jordan Watson stole 16 Ford Fiestas and eight other vehicles between March and November 2023.
Watson targeted Ford Fiestas but also stole other vehicles like a Volkswagen Golf, a Fiat, and a Nissan pickup truck. He stole a van containing parcels, a car transporter trailer, and a quad bike from various locations.
Evidence collected through CCTV footage, DNA analysis, phone records, and images captured on Watson’s phone linked him to the crimes.
Watson pleaded guilty to 27 charges, including theft, driving offences, and possession of a weapon. Sheriff Robert More acknowledged the significant financial loss caused to the victims of the car thefts, which totalled tens of thousands of pounds.
The sheriff noted that Watson’s actions involved “extensive planning” and “significant ingenuity” and could have resulted in a lengthy prison sentence. However, due to Watson’s young age, history of childhood trauma, and recent efforts to address his drug addiction, the sheriff imposed a 200-day curfew and a year of offender supervision instead of detention.
In addition to the car theft charges, Watson also pleaded guilty to various driving offences, including dangerous driving and driving under the influence of cocaine. He was banned from driving for a year and will be sentenced for these offences at a later date.
The case highlights the need for increased vigilance and security measures to prevent vehicle thefts in the region.
Source: The Courier
Simon
Total shambles of a justice system, he should have been jailed, what sort of message is this putting out to other wood be thief’s, steeling peoples property, possession of a weapon, of his head on drugs.
Worlds gone mad
Dave
Justice system has gone mad
gary
pathetic might as well pay him to nick stuff
gary warburton
Childhood trauma and cocaine excuses , absolute joke .
Stuart Duff
Having had a car stolen recently the cost to me including a cancelled holiday because they had broken into my home was around £6k including sorting the ripped roof where they cut
the tracker aerial, multiply that to 16 vehicles, the cost is horrific, The justice system is no longer fit for purpose, when a man gets, 2 years in jail for selling stickers and a crook gets 200 hours community service and a cuddle from the sheriff, its no wonder people are on the streets.
Slim whitman
Little nasty bar steward should have his hands cut off, and then pushed in a giant oceanographic pool with 2 great white sharks in it.
And we could spectate with a bag of popcorn.
Mark bradbury
I think we all agree a custodial sentence would be appropriate but I think we are missing the obvious here. ALL prison spaces are reserved for people who dare to voice there opinion on facebook as free speach is now illegal under Labour.