A thief stole a Doncaster firm's HGV while it was being fixed at a garage
A thief collected and stole a heavy goods vehicle from a garage where it had been undergoing repairs.
The HGV belonged to JMS Haulage, of Doncaster, and it had been stolen after it had been dropped off for windscreen repairs at a garage, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing on June 23.
Prosecuting barrister Brian Outhwaite said Thomas Brownbridge, aged 25, of Glencoe Gardens, Leeds, stole the vehicle but he was found by a tracker in the vehicle keys.
Mr Outhwaite added: “The receptionist at the garage received a telephone call from a male saying he worked for JMS and was the vehicle ready for collection?”
Brownbridge went to the garage wearing a high-visibility top, according to Mr Outhwaite, and waited before taking the keys and the HGV.
JMS received a call from someone saying they had seen the HGV being driven in a suspicious manner and a key tracking device showed it was being driven on the A1 northbound towards Wakefield.
Brownbridge, who only has previous convictions for driving matters, pleaded guilty to the theft which happened in September last year.
Hollie Alcock, defending, said Brownbridge had suffered the breakdown of a relationship and had become depressed. He lost a job, got involved with negative peers and started taking drugs, she added.
Ms Alcock told the court he was coerced into committing the offence by others.
Recorder Richard Wright QC sentenced Brownbridge to 12 months of custody suspended for two years with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work.