A soldier must pay nearly £1,500 after he stole a motorcycle and lied to police

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard how Thomas Anthony Paisley, 23, stole the motorcycle while he was at Tibshelf motorway service station and falsely reported to police it had been stolen by another person.

Becky Allsop, prosecuting, said the motorcycle had originally been bought by a man from the Chesterfield area via Facebook but the bike needed collecting from Ashbourne so Paisley stepped-in and agreed to deliver the vehicle for £40 in his van.

Mrs Allsop added the bike did not arrive and Paisley told the complainant he had been to McDonald’s at Tibshelf and the bike had been stolen and he also told police the same.

However, Paisley later confessed to police his van had not been broken into and he had actually stolen the motorcycle.

Paisley added that his marriage had broken down and he had been making bad decisions and he had got involved with the wrong people.

The defendant, who is based at Picton Barracks, on Rawlinson Road, at Bulford Camp, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to the theft from August 15 and admitted wasting police time by making a false report.

Paisley, who is of previous good character, had his case adjourned for a hearing at Salisbury magistrates’ court earlier this month where he was fined £276 and ordered to pay £1,040 compensation and £85 costs.