A JOHNSTONE man who tried to steal a car fanatic’s BMW after arranging a test drive online with its owner has been spared punishment.

David McGibbon, of Elm Drive, met Rubeel Farooq in the car park of Pure Gym, in Renfrew Road, Paisley, to buy a silver coupe advertised on Shpock.

But when Mr Farooq got out to change seats after the test drive, McGibbon drove off in his car.

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Paisley Sheriff Court heard Mr Farooq gave chase on foot and, when McGibbon stopped at a junction, he caught up, opened the driver’s door and hauled him out.

Reliving events, Mr Farooq said: “He said he liked the car and wanted to buy it and said he needed to go to the bank to get the money.

“I think I said I’d take him. He just looked at me and then drove off with the door wide open.”

After getting his car back, Mr Farooq went to a police station to report the theft bid, which took place on September 5, 2016.

McGibbon tried to deny the theft attempt was his doing as he conducted his own defence.

Under cross-examination from the accused, Mr Farooq admitted anyone could create a Shpock profile, that the profile was not in McGibbon’s name and that no identification was required to open a Shpock account.

But Mr Farooq said: “You did that, 100 per cent you did that. You drove off in my car and I managed to catch up with you.”

McGibbon maintained his innocence but, in July, was convicted by Sheriff Seith Ireland, who called for background reports and deferred sentence for three months so the accused could spend some time in the community when he was released from a jail term imposed for breaking bail conditions.

Sheriff Ireland told the accused: “If you get into trouble, all bets are off.”

When McGibbon returned to the dock this week to learn his fate, the sheriff spared him prison.

Instead, he placed him on an 18-month Community Payback Order (CPO), which will see him supervised by social workers and have to go to drug counselling.

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Sheriff Ireland told McGibbon: “This offence is over two years old and there’s been no further incidents.”

As there was no unpaid work imposed, there is no punishment element to the CPO.