An Aberdeen man has been put under house arrest after admitting stealing a £45,000 Mercedes from Edinburgh.
Douglas Kelbie, 40, stole the black Mercedes GLC AMG from outside the capital home in September last year but wasn’t caught until two months later.
Fiscal depute David Rogers told the court that happened when police officers in Aberdeen went to check on reports of a man sleeping inside a car on Pitstruan Place.
Mr Rogers said that the officers had found Kelbie in the driver’s seat, adding: “The vehicle was unlocked and Kelbie awoke when they opened the door.”
He told the court that after running checks, the officers found Kelbie was not named as the car’s registered keeper or the insured driver.
Kelbie had told the officers that it was his mother’s car after “providing varying accounts” of why he was sleeping there.
Offences committed while on bail
Further checks revealed that Kelbie’s mother was also not the registered owner and that the number plate had been changed.
The court was told that after carrying out a search of the car, officers found seven wraps of cocaine, with a total weight of 7.37g, and £490 cash. A hammer was also found next to the driver’s seat.
Mr Rogers said subsequent checks then revealed the real identity of the car and its owner.
Kelbie, of Cairngorm Road, Aberdeen, admitted stealing the car, carrying an offensive weapon and of being in possession of a class A drug – all whilst on bail.
Ultimatum to ‘sort his life out’
His defence counsel Alex Burns explained Kelbie had been “between addresses” at the time and had been living in the car.
He said there had been “nothing sinister” about the presence of the hammer and he had been “sound asleep” when the police arrived.
Mr Burns said Kelbie had not taken any drugs for six weeks and had been handed an ultimatum to “sort his life out” after moving in with his mother, adding: “His life seems to be back on track.”
Sheriff Andrew Miller said he did not see a reason for prison and instead thought a restriction of liberty order would be appropriate.
He sentenced Kelbie to a 12-month supervision order and to be electronically tagged – meaning he must remain within his address between the hours of 8pm and 6am every night of the week for 21 weeks.
