Thieves admit stealing vehicles worth £342k

Three car thieves have admitted stealing scores of vehicles in a yearlong crimewave.

The serial offenders targeted high-end Ford cars and Ford vans in a spree across Lanarkshire and the west of Scotland – including East Kilbride, Hamilton and Rutherglen.

At Paisley Sheriff Court, pictured, William Cairns, Mark Busby and Robert Busby faced 125 charges totalling thefts valuing almost £1 million – with the trio admitting to 67 thefts of vehicles worth more than £342,000.

The total is thought to be much higher as some owners didn’t provide values for their vehicles.

Court papers show each of the charges were connected to serious organised crime.

In many of the thefts, the vehicles were taken from outside the homes of the owners as the country was in lockdown in 2020.

Robert Busby, 39, admitted stealing a white Ford Transit valued at approximately £10,000 from Troon Avenue in East Kilbride on January 23, 2020.

Procurator fiscal David Mcdonald told Paisley Sheriff Court: “At 9pm on January 22, the owner of the vehicle saw his white Ford Transit was parked and secured in Troon Avenue.

“At 1am on January 23, the owner discovered that his van had been stolen and contacted the police. The van was never recovered.

“A mobile device attributed to Robert Busby was connected to masts in the vicinity of the locus between 11.42pm on January 22 and 1.56am on January 23.”

Robert Busby also admitted stealing another white Ford Transit from Montford Avenue in Rutherglen in January 2020.

Mr Mcdonald told how this van was also worth around £10,000 and was never recovered.

Mr Mcdonald said: “At 10pm on January 28, the owner locked and secured his van. At 7.30am on January 29, the owner discovered the van to be missing.

“There was no signs of damage and the owner was still in possession of the true keys.”

William Cairns, 36, also targeted a silver Ford Kuga in Rutherglen’s Kirkbean Avenue.

The court heard the owner parked his car in his driveway and the following morning he discovered his vehicle, worth £11,700, was gone. It was never recovered.

Mark Busby 38, Robert Busby, and William

Cairns, all admitted stealing a blue Ford Fiesta from Glenlee Street in Hamilton on May 26, 2020.

Mr Mcdonald explained the stolen motor was worth around £8916 and was never recovered. He told the court: “At 11pm on May 25, the owner parked and secured their car.

“At 10am on May 26, the car owner noticed that his vehicle was missing and contacted the police.

“A mobile device attributed to Mark Busby was connected to masts in the vicinity between 1.45am and 2.26am on May 26.

“A mobile attributed to Robert Busby was connected to masts at 2.26am on May 26. Around this time, Robert Busby was in contact with another person of interest.

“A mobile attributed to William Cairns was connected to masts in the vicinity between 1.59am and 2.02am on May 26. Around this time, Cairns was in contact with another person of interest.”

Each of the males’ defence agents reserved mitigation for the preparation of reports.

Sheriff Tom Mccartney adjourned sentencing for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment.

All three males were remanded and will return to court next month for sentencing.