Police quick to home in on pigeon kit sneak thief

A MAN who stole a vehicle full of homing pigeon kit and hid it in a Kirriemuir caravan site has been handed more jail time.

On May 1 2019, a farmer near Auchterhouse was forced to make an early morning journey to halt livestock, which were running away.

This presented an opportunity for sneak thief Jordan Greig to pinch the vehicle.

At Forfar Sheriff Court, fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson said: “The locus is a farm two to three miles outside Tealing.

“At 8.40am, farm animals on the farm began running in the direction of the locus.

“The owners drove their vehicle in an attempt to prevent them from travelling further.

“They returned and parked their vehicle and left the vehicle unlocked, with keys in the ignition. At 9.10am, the owner returned and observed the vehicle was not there. The police were contacted.”

Officers reviewed CCTV footage and saw 23-year-old Greig, of Heatherywood Travelling Persons Site in Kirkcaldy, make off in the vehicle.

Police traced Greig and the vehicle to the far end of a caravan site in Kirriemuir.

He had only stolen it just two hours before officers arrived but had already removed the number plates.

Ms Wilkinson added: “It included items related to homing pigeons.”

Greig appeared from custody to admit stealing the vehicle.

His solicitor Nick Markowski explained

Greig is currently serving a seven-year sentence imposed by the High Court.

“The authorities have a tight hold on him at this stage,” he said.

Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown jailed Greig for nine months.

The prison term will be served concurrent to his ongoing sentence.