Thieves steal Sheffield man's car - then taunt him with videos of how they did it using fake Facebook profile

A Sheffield photographer says he is in disbelief after thieves stole his car from outside his home - then taunted him online with videos of how they did it.

Paul Morton, 41, was just a few minutes late when he realised his white Ford Focus RS had been stolen from outside his home at Flockton Road, Handsworth, at midnight heading into February 10, 2024. CCTV would later show the offenders had left just eight minutes beforehand.

What he did not expect were the videos on his Facebook page that followed.

Because when Paul made appeals asking friends and neighbours for help over the incident he shockingly received a number of videos - posted by the thieves themselves.

The clips showed how they cut his steering lock off with an angle grinder and took the car for a spin near Catcliffe. They even claimed they had already sold it for £600 and goaded him with how they broke into it in the first place.

One of the jeering comments read: "Just sold it mate [two kissing emojis] quick £600 pounds [sic.] in our pockets 200 pounds each for 15 mins work thanks for the sponsorship much appreciated."

The gibes were posted using a fake Facebook profile under the name Nicholas Cage - possibly a reference to the real actor's 2000 flick 'Gone in 60 Seconds.'

When speaking with The Star, Paul repeatedly laughed at the situation, saying: "I don't think I've ever heard of anything like this - stealing someone's car and posting videos saying you did it to their Facebook page.

"I'm in disbelief. It's the total disregard they have about posting it when it could get them caught.

"You've got to laugh or you'll cry. They could have targeted some old lady or someone who really does need their car. All it's cost me is delaying a couple of jobs at work.

"Besides, it's insured."

Paul said the car - a white Ford Focus RS, registration BW16 NVU - was seen outside his house by his mother at 11:50pm on February 9. By midnight, it was gone.

One of two comments later posted by the offenders to taunt Paul claimed they used a 'relay machine' to break into the car.

Relay machines are a tool increasingly used by criminals to steal 'keyless-entry' cars. They resemble antennas and work by cloning the signal from the car's real keys while they are still in the house so they can open the doors.

A defence against this is to put the keys in a commercially available 'Faraday pouch', which works to block the relay machine's signals, which is what Paul used.

The thieves' first comment claims they got around these measures, with gibes about enjoying themselves while taking the car for a test drive. They wrote: "Your Faraday pouch is rubbish pal, the relay machine we have is too strong mate [devil emoji].

"Can we have the guys number [sic] who tuned the car please? It's too fast could do with getting the boost turned down cheers."

Returning to the theft, the stolen Focus had a steering lock fitted. CCTV from Flockton Road would later show Paul how the thieves accessed the car and then it rolled away from the scene - with its headlights on - at 12.02am.

Paul decided to jump in a second car and go driving around his neighbourhood looking for the Focus, believing they would have to stop nearby to remove the lock.

In fact, the car was fitted with a branded Disklok Gold, which promotes itself as "the world's strongest and most effective steering wheel lock." Paul hoped this would give him time to find the culprits.

However, Paul would later learn the £150 RRP lock lasted approximately four minutes or less after it was cut apart by the thieves using an angle grinder - an act which they also filmed and sent to him on Facebook.

The clip shows the car at the side of an unknown road as a figure gets to work inside, lit by a head torch and the sparks flying from his efforts to cut away the steering lock. The cameraperson, apparently filming on a phone, walks from window to window to get a better view.

At 12.07am, on Flockton Road, neighbours' CCTV caught the Focus being driven from the scene, before two men are seen jogging after it. It suggests at least three people were involved in the theft.

It took approximately eight minutes total for the thieves to access the car, roll it away, cut off the steering lock and be gone.

Finally, another comment on Paul's Facebook page showed the thieves brazenly having some fun with the car before claiming they had already sold it.

A clip of the car showed it being driven at speed on Brinsworth Road, near Catcliffe, with the camera person standing at the side of the road. Paul says police told him the car was last captured on an ANPR camera near Catcliffe.

The caption reads: "Just sold it mate [two kissing emojis] quick £600 pounds [sic.] in our pockets 200 pounds each for 15 mins work thanks for the sponsorship much appreciated."

Paul does not know for certain if the thieves already knew who he was or found his contact information on items inside the car.

South Yorkshire Police has been contacted for a comment.

Anyone with information about the theft should contact SYP by calling 101, quoting incident number 14-34026-24.