B movie on streets
A thief called Ryan O’Neill drove as if he was in a movie.
Though he shares the name of the veteran Hollywood A- lister Ryan O’Neal, his claim to fame is more police B- movie.
The 22- year- old had broken into a car parked outside a hotel and stolen the fancy handbag and purse inside.
He was later tailed in a car where he led police on a blue- light merry dance of Ayr backstreets.
O’Neill is now behind bars awaiting sentence after a sheriff referred to him as “not an honest man.”
The thief, of George Street, Ayr, admitted stealing from a Fiat 500 in the car park of the Carlton Hotel in Prestwick on November 27 last year.
He also admitted driving dangerously in his Renault Clio, failing to stop, having no proper licence, insurance or MOT.
In addition he was found with £ 1000 of power tools stolen from a maintenance yard at Ayr Racecourse.
Scott Toal, prosecuting, said he smashed two windows of the Fiat and made off with the bag and purse worth £ 595.
He was caught on CCTV and spotted by police in George Street where he refused to stop.
Mr Toal said O’Neill travelled into John Street then Craigie Way with no reduction in speed.
He added: “It was busy at the time and he mounted a pavement in Macadam Place.
“In King Street he drove through the no right turn and onto Russell Drive past bollards onto a pedestrian area which fortunately had no pedestrians.
“He continued at excessive speed and lost control on raised cobbles in Argyle Park, then onto grass, with the police car colliding with it.”
After seeing his past convictions, Sheriff Desmond Leslie remanded him in custody for reports, after saying he was “not an honest man.”