An Aberdeen man set fire to four cars – before being caught with the keys to a stolen Land Rover hidden up his bottom.
William Dunlop snatched the silver Land Rover Freelander from a farm in Oldmeldrum before using it to transport him and two accomplices to St Clement Street in Aberdeen.
There they set fire to four vehicles belonging to a car trader, causing £7,500 worth of damage before fleeing.
But police officers were quick to trace Dunlop and, when faced with the prospect of a search, the 23-year-old produced the keys to the stolen vehicle from his bottom.
Fiscal depute Brian Young told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the owners of the Land Rover Freelander noticed the vehicle was missing just after 6am on May 18 last year.
‘He had something hidden’
Around 4.30pm on May 23 the owner of a car trading company noted a Kia Sportage, Vauxhall Meriva, Mazda 3 and Nissan Note parked and secured on St Clement Street.
At 2am the following day, witnesses observed a group of three males approach the cars and “pour a substance” over them, before one of the vehicles was engulfed in flames.
One witness filmed the incident on their mobile phone and another saw the trio running away and making off in a Land Rover Freelander.
Accused filmed incident on his own phone
Dunlop was identified by police from the mobile phone footage and the Land Rover was found in a residential car park on Regents Walk in Aberdeen.
Officers maintained observation of the car and, at 10pm, Dunlop and two others arrived in a blue Ford Focus which stopped close by.
They were arrested and Dunlop was given a full search.
The fiscal depute said: “The accused intimated to police constables that he had something hidden within his anus.
“He thereafter produced the key to the Land Rover Freelander.”
An examination of his mobile phone uncovered an image of the stolen car taken at 4.33am on May 18, as well as footage of the fireraising incident.
A green jerry can, which Dunlop could be seen with in the video, was also recovered from his address.
The damaged vehicles were all insured, with the cost of the damage totalling £7,500.
Dunlop, of Cummings Park Circle, Aberdeen, admitted charges of theft of a motor vehicle and, while acting along with others, wilful fireraising.
Defence agent Iain Hingston asked for sentence to be deferred for reports and reserved mitigation until the sentencing hearing.
Sheriff Ian Wallace deferred sentence until June.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen and the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group.
