Race hate thug admits car theft

A THUG who is in jail for savagely beating an Asian teenager also filled his leisure time by stealing cars, a court has heard.

Taylor Melvin,18, of Niddrie, Edinburgh, pleaded guilty to two charges of car theft at the city’s sheriff court today.

Melvin admitted stealing a car from Cakemuir Grove, Edinburgh, on 26 March, 2010. He also took another vehicle from the city’s Niddrie Marischal Crescent in November 2010.

Depute fiscal John Kirk told the court that Melvin was detained because images of his crimes were caught on CCTV cameras.

Mr Kirk added: “The accused is well known to the police. They had no problem picking him out.”

Melvin and his friend Bradley McCallum,21, are currently serving five years each for the brutal assault of Shiraz Mohammed,18, at Edinburgh’s Portobello promenade in April 2011.

The pair - who repeatedly struck defenceless Shiraz and hurled racist abuse at him- were jailed last month at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Sheriff William Holligan deferred sentence on Melvin for the car thefts until January 2012.