Jail for thief who swiped car and led cops on high speed chase
A serial car thief who swiped a family’s car then led police on a high-speed chase has been jailed for 12 months.
David McGibbon stole the Nissan Note Acenta from a property in Broomlands Street, Paisley, in June.
The family he stole the vehicle from had a newborn baby and their freedom was severely impacted by McGibbon’s selfish actions.
McGibbon, 32, also stole bank cards, keys and a watch from one of his neighours in Chestnut Place, Johnstone, on June 10 this year.
He used the bank cards in the Nisa Local shop in Hazel Avenue, Johnstone, pretending they were his, and getting himself nearly £80, by fraud, in the process.
He stole more bank cards and the Nissan key from the Broomlands Street property, then stole the car, drove it while disqualified and approached his girlfriend, whom he is banned from seeing.
He failed to stop for police and then drove dangerously by leading them on a police chase at high-speed along the M8 and in to Glasgow, running red lights on his way.
McGibbon denied his guilt but was convicted of eight charges after a trial at Paisley Sheriff Court last month.
Sentence was deferred for background reports to be prepared and he returned to the dock to be sentenced.
Defence solicitor Graeme Brown asked for leniency for McGibbon, saying drugs were the root cause of his offending.
Mr Brown explained: “He has a problem with drugs.
“I have known him for a number of years. He has had a problem with drugs for a number of years.”
And he told Sheriff Lindsey Kooner that she had “a stark choice” - jailing McGibbon or allowing him to be assessed for a possible Drug Treatment and Testing Order, which would see him going unpunished by working with professionals to get clean in a bid to stop his offending.
The judge ruled there was only one way she could deal with him - and caged him for 12 months, the maximum sentence she could impose.
As she did so, she said: “You are quite clearly the grip of an addiction problem that’s caused significant stress and harm, not only to your own family, but also, no doubt, to the community.
“You caused one family very significant inconvenience.
“You deprived them of the use of the vehicle when they had a young family.
“And you entered their home while the mother was sleeping with their baby.
“Only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
She also banned McGibbon from driving for five years.
Last year McGibbon was spared jail for trying to steal a car so he could turn his life around.
McGibbon had arranged to meet Rubeel Farooq in a Pure Gym car park, after Farooq advertised his silver BMW 320ci Se coupe for sale on Shpock - a boot sale app.
But Mr Farooq was left shocked and had to think on his feet when conman McGibbon drove off in the vehicle when he got out to swap seats after a test drive.
He bravely gave chase on foot - before opening the car door when it stopped at a junction, hauling the wannabe car thief out of the car and sending him on his way.
Sheriff Seith Ireland Oreland placed him on an 18- month Community Payback Order which would see him supervised by social workers and have to go to drug counselling, for that offence.
In February 2016 McGibbon was jailed for 10 months for an almost identical offence.
You are quite clearly in the grip of an addiction problem that’s caused stress and harm, not only to your family, but also, no doubt, to the community Sheriff
Kooner