A serial offender who stole £329,000 worth of cars among other offences has been jailed for 10 years.
John Callaghan, who previously pled guilty to a total of 39 charges, appeared at the High Court in Glasgow, where he was also banned for life from driving.
The 28-year-old was involved in a catalogue of high-end car thefts and break-ins across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Stirlingshire between 2024 and 2025.
He was also linked to packages of drugs and phones being thrown over the wall into HMP Edinburgh. Lord Arthurson said the public needed protecting from his criminal behaviour.
The court heard a Volkswagen Passat was captured stopping at HMP Edinburgh in February of last year.
Two occupants exited and one threw four packages into the prison over a perimeter wall.
These were later found to contain a sock and netting, six mobile telephones – which are prohibited in prison – along with quantities of cannabis resin.
The drugs had a potential value behind bars of £4,420. Callaghan's DNA was found on the sock.
High-speed police chase
The court also heard of an incident involving Callaghan speeding in a stolen Ford Fiesta Titanium X.
The car – with up to four males inside wearing dark clothes and balaclavas - mounted a kerb and failed to stop for police.
The car was driven on the wrong side of the road before being involved in a near miss with an ambulance responding to an emergency near the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
The vehicle then went through red lights, sped at more than 90mph, and overtook a police van. Other drivers had to slow down to also dodge being hit.
Prosecutor John Coogan said police were then instructed to abandon pursuit of the vehicle due to the dangerous manner of the driving.
Eventually the Fiesta got stuck in traffic and the men in the car left the vehicle at the scene.
Callaghan's DNA was on the steering wheel.
'He is not a person who thinks about the consequences of his actions'
The court also heard details of a break-in that took place in Balerno a month later, in March 2025.
They were told a man awoke to suspect someone had been in his home and Callaghan was later heard on dashcam footage describing being inside the house.
It was revealed that Callaghan has amassed 29 previous convictions including housebreaking, dangerous driving, and driving while disqualified.
Ewen Roy, defending said: "Although he is a prolific offender in terms of these indictments for this case, it seems he is not a particularly sophisticated criminal and cannot be described as forensically aware.
"He is not a person who thinks about the consequences of his actions."
Sentencing, Lord Arthurson said: "You were responsible for the theft or reset of approximately £329,000 of motor vehicles.
"You are plainly a committed prolific offender.
"The public requires protection from criminal behaviour which has escalated in scale as such that you appear at the High Court.
"The objective is for public protection, retribution and deterrents."