AN ALLOA man has been locked up after lying to police and getting his own brother wrongly arrested for the theft of a motorbike.
Kevin Barr, who now has around 20 previous convictions, appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court last Wednesday (23 September) charged with stealing a motorcycle and perverting the course of justice.
The 25-year-old, from Alloa, stole the bike from the side of the road in Springkerse Industrial Estate, Stirling, sometime between 24-26 January of this year. Its owner discarded the bike as it had broken down, but Barr managed to restart it and drive it away. Then, a few days later, he was pulled over by police in Redwell Place, Alloa, when officers noticed he was carrying a pillion passenger who was not wearing a helmet.
Following a computer check it was noted the bike was uninsured and Barr was cautioned with the offence. But when questioned he gave the name and date of birth of his brother John Barr.
Depute fiscal Ann Orr said it “only transpired later” that the vehicle was in fact stolen.
She said: “Thereafter John Barr was detained in relation to the theft. He told the police it wasn’t him, it was his brother Kevin, but it was only on being able to get the officers who had stopped the motorcycle to look at him that police were able to confirm they had the wrong man in custody.”
John Barr, who has never been in trouble with the police, was released, but Kevin could not immediately be found. He eventually appeared in court on an initiating warrant.
The court was not told how long John spent in the police station before his brother’s deception was uncovered.
Kevin Barr, pleaded guilty to stealing the motorcycle, driving it without insurance, and also attempting to evade detection and thereby defeat the ends of justice. His defence agent Alistair Burleigh described his client as “not somebody who thinks through the consequences of his actions.”
Jailing Barr for four and a half months, Sheriff William Gilchrist told him: “You have something in the order of 20 previous convictions, and it’s a fairly mixed bag of dishonesty and antisocial behaviour and the like.
“You also have a previous conviction for perverting the course of justice. No sentence but a custodial one is appropriate.”
Before being led to the cells, Barr said: “To get another custodial sentence will rip me to shreds. I’ve not got that much time to waste.”
Shouting and banging could be heard echoing from the cells for up to 15 minutes after he was removed from the dock.