Thief stopped by police in stolen car avoids prison
A Galashiels man who stole a car parked outside a home in the town has avoided a prison sentence at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
Three other men who pleaded guilty to their part in robbing the man of his car in Magdala Terrace in September 2024 were previously jailed for 22 months after the court was told the gang threatened the man before he fled the vehicle.
Thirty-two-year-old Jed Crerar was also initially charged with robbery.
But he admitted an amended charge of theft of a motor vehicle after the Crown accepted he was not part of the initial incident.
However, Crerar was found driving the vehicle when it was later stopped by police on the A7 in Midlothian.
In addition to the theft, Crerar pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance and failing to tell police the identity of the driver of the vehicle.
He also admitted a separate complaint of obstructing police by struggling with officers during an incident in Galashiels on March 4 this year.
As an alternative to custody, Crerar was given Community Pay Back orders with a total of 270 hours of unpaid work to be completed over 12 months and disqualified from driving for 18 months.