A CAR thief who caused £38,000 of damage when he crashed a stolen Range Rover into another car and a house was jailed for four months yesterday.
Sentencing 19-year-old Caoimhin James Black at Newtownards Magistrates Court, District Judge Mark Hamill lamented the fact the Public Prosecution Service has withdrawn numerous other charges arising from the incident in January last year, including criminal damage and dangerous driving.
Having outlined Black’s criminal record, including multiple convictions for stealing vehicles, burglary and criminal damage, the judge told the teenager: “The maximum I can give you is six months but I have to give you discount for pleading guilty so it’s four months in each count concurrent and disqualified for two years.”
He warned Black however that if he came before the courts again he would "face a lengthy, lengthy custodial sentence".
At an earlier hearing Black, from Conway Place in Belfast, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated vehicle taking causing damage to the stolen Range Rover and a Seat Leon on January 3 last year.
A prosecuting lawyer told the court how the keys to the Range Rover and a Toyota C-HR were taken during a burglary at a house on Carney Hill in Holywood in the early hours.
He said that around 5am the stolen Toyota crashed into a lamppost on Glenmachan Street and a short time later, the stolen Range Rover crashed into a parked Seat Leon on Cavendish Street before ploughing into the front of a house causing massive damage to it.
CCTV footage captured Black getting out of the driver's seat of the crashed jeep and after “names of those involved were received by the police,” Black was arrested.
Forensic examination of the Range Rover uncovered Black’s DNA profile from the steering wheel, the court heard.
During police questioning, Black refused to answer questions, the lawyer said adding that in total, £38,000 of damage was caused to the Seat Leon and Range Rover.
Black’s defence lawyer conceded there is “no denying” his relevant criminal convictions but submitted that he was going through a “completely destructive time in his life”.
“He now realises, with an adult head in his shoulders, that he cannot continue in this way,” said the lawyer.
Sentencing Black, Judge Hamill told him that “sooner or later, someone will say enough is enough” and send him to the Crown Court.
