Church gatecrashers' confession

Court reporter • Published 17 Mar 2010 14:00

TWO joy riders who stole diggers and smashed them into walls and lampposts as they raced them have admitted causing almost £6,000 of damage.

The Post reported last month how a church which had its wall and gates destroyed by the pair could not afford to pay for the required repairs.

The two men behind the trail of destruction - Kevin Barr, 21, and Garry Rooney, 18 - went on the wrecking spree after breaking into a neighbouring building site in December last year.

The sozzled pair dressed up in high visibility vests and work boots before destroying the church wall and several street lights while racing the diggers.

They were caught out after a nearby resident heard a noise and looked out to see the diggers leaving the site - knocking down a partition wall as they left.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Barr and Rooney, who are both remanded in Polmont Young Offenders Institution, admitted stealing a digger each from Cruden's building site, Airgold Drive, Drumchapel, on December 6.

The pair also admitted driving dangerously and striking street lights, a fence, a wall and an electricity box and stealing boots and jackets from a portable hut at the site.

Barr was also convicted of drink driving and Rooney pled guilty to failing to provide a specimen for alcohol testing and driving while disqualified.

Prosecutor Joe Stewart told the court that the men broke into the site in the early hours of the Sunday morning.

Mr Stewart said: "A resident became aware of activity on the building site and saw two diggers emerge.

"The diggers collided with a partition wall at the entrance to the site causing the wall to fall down.

"The diggers then proceeded in the direction of Invercanny Drive.

"The witness then became aware of a banging noise and formed the impression that the diggers had collided."

Mr Stewart added: "Police officers drove through Invercanny Drive where they observed extensive damage which had been caused.

"A wall surrounding the [Drumchapel Scottish Episcopal Church] had been completely demolished.

"Three sets of street lights between Kinfauns Drive and Ladyloan Avenue had been damaged along with damage to an electricity box."

Officers then arrived at Ladyloan Avenue and saw Barr in a digger wearing the stolen jacket and boots.

Rooney was within another digger on a grassy area wearing similar stolen gear.

Barr admitted breaking into the site and stealing the digger but Rooney initially denied it.

Mr Stewart added that the diggers were valued at £5,000 each and damage to the building site was estimated at £2,500.

Three lampposts and the electricity box also had to be replaced at a cost of £2,507 and a new church wall cost £700.

Sheriff Martin Jones deferred sentence until later this month for background reports and Barr and Rooney were remanded in custody.

Defence lawyers Kevin McCarron, representing Barr, and Phil McWilliams, representing Rooney, will give their pleas in mitigation at the next hearing.

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This article appeared in Clydebank Post 17 Mar 10

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