Stolen vehicle spotted in Falkirk ended up in shipping container bound for Ghana

Police officers investigating a car theft found the stolen vehicle just before it was due to be shipped to West Africa and their investigation led to the arrest of serial offender Jack Hughes, 26, as well as the recovery of several other stolen vehicles destined for export abroad.

A sheriff at Livingston Sheriff Court today, described the stolen car scam as “a fairly serious commercial operation”.

Procurator fiscal depute Christine Brownlie said the owner of a 2017 Audi Q7 had gone on holiday leaving his car parked on the driveway of his home in Bathgate, West Lothian, on March 17, 2022.

Four days later his children noticed the car was missing and reported it as stolen.

The owner’s daughter posted a picture of the vehicle on Facebook and appealed on social media for information about it. She received a message saying the vehicle had been spotted in the Falkirk area and passed the information on to police.

Officers attended at a convenience store in the California area of Falkirk and seized CCTV footage showing the vehicle being driven the day after it had been parked outside the owner’s home.

Two days later police got further CCTV from another store in Shieldhill, Falkirk.

It clearly showed Hughes sitting in the driver’s seat, leaving the vehicle and entering the shop, before jumping back into the car and driving off.

Miss Brownlie said Hughes was not traced at the time but the car was later discovered in a shipping container due to be exported to Ghana in West Africa – along with several other vehicles which had been reported stolen.

She added that the owner of the Audi had been given a replacement vehicle by his insurance company.

Hughes, a prisoner in Low Moss, was originally charged with stealing the £25,000 luxury car and a key on March 17 or 18, 2022 but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of resetting property which had been dishonestly appropriated by theft.

He admitted being subject to three bail orders issued at Falkirk Sheriff Court at the time of the offence.

Murray Aitken, defence solicitor, said Hughes – a father of three who normally lived with his mother in the Falkirk area – had been contacted by friends who offered him some £300 to drive a vehicle in the areat.

He said: “He was addicted at the time to cocaine and was substantially in debt while trying to support his family. At the time he didn’t give much thought to the consequences.

“Given his record and the nature of the offence he recognises that a custodial sentence is inevitable.”

Sheriff Peter Hammond said: “It was a fairly serious commercial operation he ended up becoming part of, exporting a vehicle abroad.”

He sentenced Hughes to 12 months in prison, to be served at the conclusion of another prison sentence he is currently serving.

Hughes was jailed for two years at Stirling Sheriff Court in March 2023 for stealing two cars as well as entering a third unlocked vehicle and nicking cash and car keys.