Three people have appeared in court after a crackdown on car crime led to a dramatic police chase across the north-east.
Ricky Forrester, 21, and two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday and made no plea to a string of charges against them.
They were among 10 young people held in custody over the weekend following a police operation in Aberdeen and Inverurie on Friday.
The procurator fiscal is still considering a report concerning two 16-year-old girls, a 21-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman in connection with alleged incidents.
Officers used a helicopter to help recover a stolen BMW X5, an Audi Q5 and an A1 and a Volkswagen Golf.
The BMW was recovered at Inverurie Railway Station, where it had been driven down the platform – reportedly pursued by police.
Forrester, whose address was given in court papers as Aberdeen, was charged with theft, taking a car without the owner’s permission and driving a car dangerously without a licence or insurance.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, also appeared in the dock alongside him. He was also charged with driving a car he had taken without permission, driving it dangerously while disqualified and without insurance.
Both accused were remanded in custody and will appear in court again within eight days.
Another 17-year-old also made a brief appearance in private yesterday accused of theft by housebreaking, theft of a vehicle, reset, driving a car without a licence or insurance and failing to identify the driver of a car when asked to by police.
He also made no plea and was bail.
Last night a Crown Office spokesman said: “The procurator fiscal has also received a report relating to an incident involving a 16-year-old male, said to have occurred in Aberdeen on December 13.
“The report is under consideration by the procurator fiscal”.
A case involving a further two boys who were reported to the procurator fiscal has been passed to the Children’s Reporter.
The north-east has been plagued by a rash of car thefts, with gangs targeting expensive and high-powered vehicles across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
In July last year, three teenagers raided the home of oil tycoon Sean Dreelan at Drumduan House, Banchory-Devenick and stole keys for an Aston Martin Rapide, a Porsche 911, an Audi A5 and a Toyota Land Cruiser.
One of the youths, who did not have a licence, also admitted stealing a grey BMW 3 Series estate on May 25 last year from Lintmill Place, Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court previously heard the youths often used screwdrivers during the thefts and rolled vehicles away from the owners’ homes before starting them and driving off.