Mechanic with form for handling stolen cars given another chance by judge

A brand new £16,000 Vauxhall Astra disappeared off the forecourt of the Dudley Motor Company in Trindle Road, Dudley, on January 24 last year.

The battery was flat and it had been left with the key in the ignition, a judge heard.

CCTV showed a man jumping into the driving seat and accelerating into the distance.

Two days later James Tipton was making inquiries that led to a cloned number plate being produced for the Vauxhall Astra, Mr Ian Ball, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

An Astra displaying the registration number of a car owned by someone else was seen at a burglary in Hartlebury overnight on February 17.

This matched the plate of the Astra the 45-year-old defendant had on his motor trader’s insurance policy and he was arrested on February 24.

Analysis of his mobile phone revealed he had got a copy of the same registration number used during the burglary, continued Mr Ball.

Father-of-three Tipton, who has previous convictions for 30 offences and admitted 'I'm not proud of myself,' allegedly paid £800 for the new car which was stopped by police on the M6 on March 1 with two other men in the vehicle.

Mr Rashid Mohammed, defending, maintained: “It was cheap and he realised that something was wrong with it but this happened a considerable time ago and he appears to be turning over a new leaf.”

The defendant, from Chestnut Road, Walsall, has already served a prison sentence for a handling offence committed around the same time as he got involved with the stolen Astra and has shown signs of rehabilitation since his release.

Judge Simon Ward told him: "You have a habit of handling stolen goods but appear to have done what the court ordered on the last occasion, and to have done it well. You have also not got into any more trouble.

"Sending somebody to prison, helping them to rehabilitate on release and then sending them back behind bars for something they did around the same time as the similar offence for which they served the prison sentence is a waste of time and money.

"This is why I am suspending the sentence on this occasion. You are 45 years old and it is time to stop your offending."

Tipton, who admitted handling the stolen Astra, was given a 14-month jail term suspended for two years with 120 hours unpaid work, rehabilitation courses and a £600 costs.

While leaving the court he paused to thank the judge for giving him a chance.