Hapless thief steals vodka before trying to hijack taxi that hit him

A hapless thief stole two bottles of vodka from an off-licence before running straight into the path of an oncoming taxi – then trying to steal the vehicle that struck him.

After failing to commandeer the car, he tried to flee the scene by crawling away with one of the vodka bottles.

The suspect, believed to be in his early 20s, was later taken to Ninewells Hospital with “a serious leg injury” after trying to flee Premier News Food and Wine Plus on the Hilltown on Tuesday.

Ambulance and police arrived at around 7pm after staff member Antonio Casci alerted the authorities.

Mr Casci and store manager Umayr Asif confirmed a man tried to make off with two bottles of Ciroc Vodka, worth £33.99 each.

The man, who was known to the shopkeepers, placed the items at the till before grabbing them and fleeing towards the multis. But he ran in front of an oncoming cab as he crossed the road.

Mr Casci, 23, added: “I’d gone out and he was crawling around the taxi trying to get the driver to take him to hospital, while still holding one bottle of vodka as the other had smashed.”

Mr Asif, 29, added: “The guy who stole these items has actually spent money in the shop before so when he came to the cash desk there wasn’t any reason to be concerned that he wasn’t going to pay.”

A police spokeswoman said: “Prior to officers arriving at the scene, the suspect fled and was involved in a collision.

“He sustained a serious leg injury and was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. Inquiries are ongoing into the full circumstances of the incident.”