Car thief sparked a police pursuit near Sheffield while his son and nephew were in the car

Sheffield Crown Court heard on July 14 how Aron Anghel, aged 35, of Lovetot Road, at Wingfield, Rotherham, had previously stolen a Range Rover and driven it dangerously during a police pursuit in December, 2020, before he stole a Nissan Micra, in December, 2021, and drove away from officers with his young son and nephew as passengers.

Judge Michael Slater told Anghel: “I regard this as an extremely serious matter. You made a sustained and determined effort to avoid being detained by the police which involved a police car being damaged in the course of the pursuit by your vehicle, and other road-users being placed at risk.

"To top it all you had your son and nephew in the car at the time risking their lives as well as your own.”

Prosecuting barrister Mr West said the Nissan Micra had been stolen from Hanover Street, Sheffield, on December 14, 2021, and officers who had been on the Stocksbridge Bypass spotted the vehicle being driven in Wortley but Anghel refused to stop.

The defendant crossed both carriageways into the path of on-coming vehicles as he performed a u-turn and he headed off towards Manchester, according to Mr West.

Mr West said: “The defendant showed a total disregard for the occupants of his vehicle he was driving, and for the other road-users.

"The defendant drove on the opposing carriageway on several occasions to either block the path of ensuing police vehicles getting past or to escape.

"On one occasion the defendant collided with the offside of the police vehicle smashing the wing-mirror off.

"The defendant also mounted a grass verge on the offside of the carriageway in a bid to escape.”

Officers were forced to use “boxing-in tactics” to stop Anghel, according to Mr West, and in the process two further police vehicles were damaged.

Mr West said: “Once the vehicle was stopped it was found to contain two children. One aged ten years, the other 12 years.”

The court heard Anghel had previously stolen a Range Rover from a bar and eatery car park in Manchester and this vehicle was also driven dangerously during a police pursuit.

Mr West said police followed the Range Rover as it exited the M62 towards Rochdale before Anghel drove over a “Stinger tyre-deflating device” and he drove through a number of red lights as other vehicles avoided him.

Anghel drove at excessive speeds with damaged tyres until he was stopped on Woodbine Street East, according to Mr West, and he had to be pursued on foot before he was detained.

The defendant, who has seven previous convictions for 14 offences, pleaded guilty to the theft of the Range Rover and to dangerous driving after the incident on December 11, 2020.

Anghel also pleaded guilty to the theft of the Nissan Micra and to dangerous driving from December 14, 2021, and to driving without insurance and without a licence.

The court heard Anghel also breached a suspended prison sentence of eight weeks of custody suspended for 12 weeks which had been imposed previously for shoplifting.

Defence barrister Chris Aspinall said both of the vehicles had been stolen to help Anghel travel from Sheffield to see his mother in Manchester.

Mr Aspinall added that although Anghel has previous convictions there had been a gap in his offending between 2012 and 2019 and any custodial sentence he receives will impact upon his wife and children.

Judge Slater acknowledged the reasons why Anghel took the vehicles but he regarded the offences as so serious that they merited a custodial sentence.

He told Anghel: “If I had taken the view that you were a professional car thief – which I do not – these sentences would be a lot higher.”

Judge Slater sentenced Anghel to two years of custody and disqualified him from driving for 42 months.

A teaful Anghel, who appeared on remand via a custody video suite, told the judge: “I thank you very much and I would like to say that I regret everything that happened and I wish you good health and the same to the parties present.”