Wednesbury car 'obsessive' takes ten motors and gets nine years jail

Adam Bodycote drove off in two of them with people hanging from the vehicles and almost knocked down the owner of a third as he targeted those trying to sell their cars via the internet, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 28-year-old swerved from side to side at up to 35 mph while trying to shake off Mr Amjad Ali, the owner of a £6,000 BMW, whose legs were dragged along the ground for a short distance until he was thrown onto a grass bank near his Oldbury home on January 22. Fortunately he escaped without being badly hurt, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

A police constable jumped from a stolen Ford Focus to 'avoid serious injury' as Bodycote reversed at speed with the officer clinging to a door frame of the car in Church Lane, West Bromwich on February 13, explained Mr David Swinnerton, prosecuting.

Then the owner of a £7,000 BMW was almost knocked down by his own car after being pushed away while getting into the passenger seat after Bodycote said he wanted a test drive in the vehicle. The open door narrowly missed the victim as the car roared off with wheels spinning, the court heard.

Bodycote posed as a would-be purchaser to take all ten cars after they were advertised for sale on either Gumtree or eBay websites.

Seven were stolen and three seized in robberies at various addresses in Smethwick, Oldbury and Cradley Heath between December 5 and February 13. Their total value was £96,755.

Five have been recovered but vehicles worth almost £49,000 are still missing. One unfortunate couple were left £15,000 out of pocket after transferring their insurance to a their new car days before Bodycote stole the BMW 5 series they were selling, continued Mr Swinnerton. Another victim had put their up for sale to fund further education.

The crime spree started while the defendant was on bail after he tried to 'buy' three more cars while masquerading as his younger brother.

He got away with an £11,000 Astra on January 18 2016 which was then sold to another dealership but later retrieved by police.

A carbon copy ruse failed in Smethwick the following month and an attempt to buy an £8,000 BMW with a stolen cheque also backfired on March 29 2016. He was arrested days later and released on bail pending further inquiries.

Miss Sally Cairns, defending the father of three, said he had been 'obsessed' with cars since childhood but his life had gone downhill after he started taking drugs, a move which led to debt and a split with his partner.

Bodycote from Beech Road, Wednesbury pleaded guilty to fraud, theft, robbery, handling stolen property and driving while disqualified. He was sent to prison by Judge Nicholas Webb who told him: " You are a deeply dishonest man."

Detective Tom Finney, from West Midlands Police, said: “Bodycote used a range tactics to manufacture opportunities to be left alone inside the cars: getting owners to pop the bonnet while he revved the engine or asking them to get documentation from the house − and when the opportunity arose he sped off.

"But on some occasions, when sellers became suspicious, he used violence to snatch the keys.

“He admitted his guilt after seeing the mountain of evidence we had against him and was jailed; we hope that this will offer justice for his victims."

A list of Bodycote's offences:

• December 5, 2016, Heather Road, Smethwick − stole Vauxhall Astra

• December 13, 2016, Mace Street, Cradley Heath - stole Audi A3

• December 28, 2016, Priestley Road, Walsall - stole Black BMW 3 series

• December 31, 2016, Cakemore Road, Blackheath − stole BMW 5 series

• January 2, 2017, D’urberville Road, Walsall − stole Black Vauxhall Astra

• January, 10, 2017 Drayton Street, Walsall − stole Mercedes C220

• January 18, 2017, Prospect Row, Dudley - stole Silver BMW 5 series

• January 22, 2017, Moat Road, Oldbury - stole Grey BMW 1 series

• January 26, 2017, Lyttleton Street, West Bromwich - stole Silver Audi Q7

• February 2, 2017, Milton Street, Walsall − stole Black Audi TT Quattro

• February 3, 2017, Stonehurst Road, Walsall − stole Black Volvo C30 Sport

• February 8, 2017, Mission Close, Blackheath - stole Black Ford Focus ST