logo
'Scotland's dumbest criminal' set fire to himself while torching cars for gang

'Scotland's dumbest criminal' set fire to himself while torching cars for gang

Daily Record19-06-2025
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith also imposed an eight-month supervised release period to protect the public from serious harm once Gibb is freed from jail.
A bungling gangland enforcer has been called "Scotland's dumbest criminal" by a sheriff after he set fire to himself while torching cars.
Hapless hood Darren Gibb, 33 was jailed for two years after a court was shown footage of him fleeing from the scene with his hand on fire.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard Gibb was acting on the orders of gangland figures to set fire to three vehicles across the city in targeted attacks. Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith also imposed an eight-month supervised release period to protect the public from serious harm once Gibb is freed from jail.

The sheriff said: "He set fire to himself clearly in one of the videos. He's running with one of his hands on fire because the accelerant has gone on himself - Scotland's dumbest criminal.
"You pled guilty to three charges of wilful fireraising on three dates. You intended to cause financial harm and inconvenience to the owners of the vehicles.
"These acts were pre-meditated. You said you had been asked to set fire to the cars on behalf of another criminal or criminals. You attended in dark clothing and used accelerant and the crimes were pre-planned. Your blameworthiness is high and your case involves multiple victims.
"There was the potentiality of serious harm or even death by your actions. Your crimes were committed solely for your financial gain. You were acting as enforcer for a drug dealer.
"You were indebted to those who asked you to commit these crimes and you gained financially by having debts written off. You are not of good character generally.
"In committing one of the offences you managed to set fire to yourself and were lucky not to sustain a more substantial burn injury."

The court heard Gibb caused £44,300 worth of damage to a Volkswagen Golf, a Toyota Aygo, an Audi A6 and a Mercedes-Benz.
Dramatic video footage played to the court showed the ferocious flames that engulfed the cars, which were started with accelerant.

Residents in the Charleston Drive area overheard a loud bang in the early hours of September 19 last year. Prosecutor Stephanie Paterson said: "One of the witnesses looked out the living room window and could see the silver Volkswagen Golf to be on fire.
"Two to three males in black were seen to run away. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended to extinguished the blaze and deemed it to be wilful."
Plastic on the back of the nearby Toyota Aygo was damaged as a result of the fire with scene examiners later discovering the melted remains of a jerry can within a black rucksack.

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Gormless Gibb also left the key fob to his partner's home at the scene of the crime. On October 24, he struck again after hiring a taxi to an address in Kirkton shortly after 4am.
Ms Paterson said: "At around 5.15am, the witness was woken by a loud bang at the front door and observed the silver Audi in the driveway on fire with flames emanating from the wheel arches.

"The words 'let's go Megan' were spray painted on the ground. The court was told that this was a message relating to the daughter of a neighbour. The court heard how Gibb was caught on Ring doorbell footage two days later setting fire to an Audi on the same street.
He again used accelerant on the bonnet of the car, before running away in the direction of Old Glamis Road. The desperate owner used a hose to try to put out the flames before fire crews and police descended on the scene.
Police arrested Gibb a short distance away and the firebug, who had burn marks on his hand, replied: "I've not done nothing at all."
Gibb's clothing smelled of petrol with the court hearing how part of his jacket had been melted.
Officers later searched his partner's flat, where nozzles for jerry cans were discovered in a vacuum pack. Gibb, from Dundee, pled guilty to three charges of wilful fireraising on two separate streets in Dundee.
Solicitor Mike Short said Gibb "chose to follow instructions" from more serious and organised criminals after mounting up drug debts.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Missing woman found alive nine months after disappearing in remote area
Missing woman found alive nine months after disappearing in remote area

Daily Record

time22 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

Missing woman found alive nine months after disappearing in remote area

Investigators searched for Kelsey Pittman for nine months. Now to the surprise and relief of her loved ones, she has been found alive. A woman who vanished near Death Valley National Park in the US desert almost nine months ago has been found alive. ‌ Kelsey Pittman, 33, disappeared back in November 2024 - on the border of California and Nevada, reports the Mirror. ‌ This was when the North Carolina native was last known to be in contact with police in Utah, to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office (ICSO) stated back in May. ‌ Her car, a 2009 Chevrolet HHR, was discovered months earlier on February 9 in a remote and unforgiving stretch of desert off Highway 190, in an area known as The Pads or Slab City, just outside the scorching boundaries of Death Valley National Park. The area is known for its isolation and brutal terrain. Officers searched the vehicle and the harsh surroundings, but Kelsey was nowhere to be seen. ‌ According to a statement: "Between February and June 2025, ICSO coordinated with multiple law enforcement agencies, drone teams, cadaver dog handlers, and volunteer search and rescue crews. Despite exhaustive ground and aerial searches, no additional physical evidence was found at the site." The Inyo County Sheriff's Office (ICSO) confirmed on Tuesday, July 22 Kelsey had been located alive in the state of Colorado. ‌ A statement read: "The Inyo County Sheriff's Office is relieved to announce that Kelsey Pittman has been located alive in the state of Colorado. "Out of respect for her privacy and that of her family, no further details will be released." Every year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the US, according to the Department of Justice. Most are found quickly, yet some disappear without a trace. ‌ Cases like Kelsey's are relatively unusual given the amount of time that passed between her reported disappearance and subsequent discovery. Hopes of finding a missing person dwindle as time goes on, particularly in cases where the individual is vulnerable. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Such occurrences are not unheard of, though, giving hope to families around the world still waiting for news of long vanished loved ones. Mum-of-two Brenda Heist from Pennsylvania simply vanished in 2002 during a bitter divorce. As the years rolled by, her family feared the worst, BBC News previously reported. By 2010, her estranged husband had her declared legally dead and even remarried. In 2013, Brenda resurfaced, having spent 11 years living as a vagrant.

'Multiple bodies' found in woods as police investigate alleged murder
'Multiple bodies' found in woods as police investigate alleged murder

Daily Record

timean hour ago

  • Daily Record

'Multiple bodies' found in woods as police investigate alleged murder

The force were called to the woodlands after the body of a missing person was discovered. Multiple bodies have reportedly been found in the woodlands where an alleged murder is being probed. Cops from all over the country have been brought in to help Devon and Cornwall Police scour the woods outside the Cornish village of Sticker after the body of a missing person was discovered. A source told Cornwall Live that the investigation - which also involves private security staff and a drone ban - now involves a number of bodies. However when they asked the force about this, Detective Superintendent Jon Bancroft, from the team investigating since the body of missing man Daniel Coleman, 43, was found there, refused to answer. Police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez told a Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel on July 25 that the force, along special units from the National Crime Agency and officers from around the UK, have been searching for the remains of multiple people. The site is Paramoor Woods, a small woodland area just off the A390 between St Austell and Truro, where searches have been ongoing for three weeks. Images from the scene show an unmarked white forensic van along with a police riot van full of kit were parked in a layby near the entrance to a property in Lower Sticker. A small blue and white marquee was also in situ along with a marquee with camping chairs for officers to be able to shelter out of the rain when needing a break or cup of tea. Five yellow bin bags full of what looks like forensic overalls could be seen by the CSI tent. A portable toilet was also in place while more police vehicles were parked farther down the woodland country lane. On the other side of the road, a large area closed with red police tape could also be seen with officers probing the ground. When we asked about the significance of the red tape, one of the officers from Staffordshire Police told us it was just as part of the officers' "training". Red police tape at crime scenes typically indicates a dangerous or high-risk area and tells people that entry is prohibited and that the scene needs to be preserved. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. DS Bancroft said it was an "extremely complex and unique investigation with experts working methodically across a large and challenging area of woodland", adding that their "enquiries are progressing with diligence and a significant police presence is expected to remain at the scene into the coming weeks". The search of the woodland area outside Sticker followed the arrest of one man in connection with the murder of Mr Coleman, from St Austell, who had been reported missing since June 1. He is alleged to have been killed between June 2 and July 7. James Desborough, 39, has been charged with the murder of Mr Coleman and has since appeared before Bodmin Magistrates' Court and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear before Truro Crown Court on August 8.

'Everything was normal at a house party - then suddenly I was being set on fire'
'Everything was normal at a house party - then suddenly I was being set on fire'

Daily Mirror

time4 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

'Everything was normal at a house party - then suddenly I was being set on fire'

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: A 36-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after David Owen was left with severe burns and fearing for his life after being set on fire at a house party. A dad has told of the horrific moment he was set on fire at a house party after being doused in lighter fluid and torched. David Owen, 36, was left fighting for his life with severe burns to 16% of his body following the terrifying incident at a flat in Perth, Scotland, on Thursday, July 3. The father-of-one had been enjoying a night out with mates before being invited back to a party, but the night quickly descended into a living nightmare after a brief row turned deadly. David, who admitted he thought he would die, recalled the horror, saying: 'I had a brief argument with someone, but I thought it was resolved. Everything seemed normal. We were chatting, drinking, laughing… then all of a sudden, I was being torched. I must have been doused in something flammable. I went up instantly. It was the most terrifying moment of my life.' In a desperate bid to survive, David hurled himself out of a ground-floor window, landing in agony on the pavement below. He added: "I panicked. I saw the window and just jumped. "I was on fire, running up and down the street, screaming for help, but no one was there. So I threw myself onto the grass and rolled around to try and get the flames out. It was the most agonising thing I've ever gone through.' Locals eventually found David lying badly burned and barely conscious. Paramedics rushed him to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee for emergency, life-saving surgery, the Daily Record reports. 'I woke up in hospital and saw the skin melting off my body,' David said. I looked at my reflection on my phone and saw my face — burned and blistered. All I could think about was my wee boy. I didn't want him to see me like that… I didn't want to scare him.' Surgeons had to perform an emergency escharotomy, which requires cutting deep into his throat to open his airways. Graphic photos show the gaping wounds where medics sliced into his neck to save him. David has since been moved to the specialist burns unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he's endured two major skin graft surgeries. His body is now covered in surgical staples holding his skin together. He said: 'At one point, my body was shutting down. I had to be resuscitated. I was in so much pain, I genuinely thought I was going to die.' 'It's a miracle I'm still here. I'll be scarred for life, mentally and physically. I'm having constant nightmares and flashbacks. I'll never understand why this happened to me.' A man, also aged 36, appeared in Perth Sheriff Court on Monday, July 7, in connection with the alleged attack. He was charged with attempted murder, assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement, and endangerment of life. He made no plea and was released on bail. His next court appearance is still to be confirmed. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched to support David and his devastated family during his long road to recovery. A statement on the website said: "David has suffered life-threatening burns to his chest, back, neck and face,' the fundraising page reads. His skin peeled away. He was placed on a ventilator, fighting for his life. He now faces a slow and painful recovery. 'He has a small child and a partner left traumatised by what happened. A night out turned into a horror story no one could have imagined.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store