Carjacker, 15, on joyride smashed police vehicles

A15-year-old boy carjacked a man in Dundee and smashed his car into three police vehicles after taking it on a joyride through Angus.

Two boys admitted a string of violent offences and traffic violations at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Only one of the youngsters appeared in the dock, having been brought from custody.

Both are too young to be named under the law.

The youngster brought to court admitted carjacking a vehicle on Dunbar Park in Dundee on August 1 2020, driving it dangerously and failing to stop for police.

Now 17, the boy assaulted the car’s owner by demanding he get out of his vehicle, seizing him by the clothing and struggling with him.

The boy repeatedly kicked him on the body, before robbing him of a mobile phone and his car keys, which he used to steal the vehicle.

At the time, he was acting with others, who remain unknown to prosecutors.

The teenager drove the car dangerously the following day along Longhaugh Road, Findowrie Street and the A92 towards Arbroath.

He took the car through Carnoustie, Barry and Monifieth before crashing into three police cars.

Throughout his journey, he failed to comply with a red light, repeatedly went around roundabouts the wrong way, and travelled at excessive speed and on the wrong side of the carriageway, causing traffic to take evasive action.

He collided with a car, before then crashing with two police vehicles.

The boy admitted crashing into a third police car on purpose before mounting a grass verge and trying to take off again.

While the vehicle was travelling through the junction between Carlogie Road and Church Street in Carnoustie, the boy’s coaccused, who is now 17, threw part of the vehicle’s exhaust at a chasing police car.

Sheriff Paul Brown adjourned the hearing until Thursday for him to be present.

The co-accused – listed as being resident at HMP Kibble, a children’s secure unit in Paisely – is self-isolating but his solicitor admitted 12 charges on his behalf.

The charges included acting in a threatening manner in Dundee on June 19 2020 by brandishing a brick at a male and threatening to strike a vehicle, as well as to threatening to blow up a car and house full of people in Glenconnor Drive.

He admitted that on August 18 2020 he assaulted a man at Poplar Grey Court by approaching him while in possession of a metal pole and robbing him of his car keys and car.

On the final day of that month, he drove dangerously in a different vehicle on streets in Whitfield, Dundee, at speed, on the wrong side of the road, overtook a vehicle at a junction, turned sharply at speed and mounted a kerb.

All four of the car tyres left the road as he entered a grassy area and pavement.

On September 6 2020 he assaulted a boy who had turned 15 less than a month before by approaching him from behind on Banchory Road and robbing him of his bicycle.

Two days later, the boy drove a third car along Broughty Ferry Road while uninsured and too young to hold a licence.

He drove dangerously by travelling at excessive speed, failing to stop for a red light and entering the opposing carriageway to overtake a queue of traffic which was stopped at traffic lights.

The boy also admitted breaching three curfew orders.