Sunderland garage burglars led police on stolen car pursuits
Two burglars who led police on highspeed pursuits in stolen vehicles and caused thousands of pounds worth of damage when they raided car garages have been jailed for about three years.Louis Gary Johnson, 34, and Michael Anthony Pemberton, 41, targeted multiple dealerships around north-east England before being caught stealing a car and van from a workshop in Durham, Newcastle Crown Court heard.Their driving caused "grave danger to other people", Judge Julie Clemitson said.The pair from Sunderland admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and burglary, as well as stealing hundreds of pounds worth of goods from various shops.
Police officers found the pair, both of whom had multiple previous convictions for burglary, breaking into Bristol Street Motors in Carrville at about 01:00 GMT on 25 February, prosecutor Neil Jones said.The men had smashed their way into the office and stolen keys for numerous vehicles which were there to be worked on by mechanics, with Johnson then driving away in a Ford Kuga and Pemberton in a Ford Transit van, the court heard.
Johnson, of Roker Avenue, used his car to ram through a barrier and, pursued by police, headed on to the A690, the court was told.He pulled into the car park at Ramside Hall Hotel to close the bonnet, which had flown up in the barricade crash, then rammed a police car to get back out on to the road.Johnson then drove the wrong way up a dual carriageway before crashing into trees, ran on to the A19 where he narrowly missed being hit by a car and was found hiding in bushes by a police drone, Mr Jones said.Pemberton, of Edward Burdis Street, drove the van directly at an officer, who had to jump out of the way, before ramming through a barrier and out on to the A690 towards Sunderland, the court heard.Officers could see smoke coming from the van and a tyre appeared to be shredded during the 15 minute, nine mile-long (14km) pursuit, before police blocked it in and arrested Pemberton, the court heard.Several officers suffered minor injuries when their vehicles were struck by the stolen vehicles, Mr Jones said.
They both replied no comment in their interviews before asking for several other garage burglaries, committed between 15 and 17, February to be taken into account.They included:The theft of and subsequent extensive damage to two cars worth a total of £80,000 from Lookers Nissan in Gateshead£2,000 worth of damage to a BMW dealership in Boldon Damage worth £50,000 to a Mercedes which was crashed into a bollard during its attempted theft from Stoneacre Toyota in Sunderland£10,000 worth of damage to two vehicles at Evans Halshaw Nissan in SunderlandDamage and loss worth £12,000 by Johnson stealing a diagnostics laptop from Wearside Audi in Sunderland
The men were subject to court orders and suspended sentences at the time of the spree, Mr Jones said.Both men also admitted using bricks to smash their way into Tesco Express in Fulwell on 4 November, stealing £1,000 worth of alcohol and vapes, and fleeing with two vacuum cleaners worth about £620 from Asda in Boldon on 25 November.The pair also caused £700 worth of damage and stole £600 worth of alcohol and vapes from the Co-op in South Shields on 6 January, the court heard.
Previous chances
Johnson, who was found with a wrap of cocaine in his sock, asked for 10 further burglaries to be taken into account and Pemberton for six, the court heard.They included thefts worth at least £2,000 from shops in Boldon, Gateshead, Whitburn and South Shields, the court heard.Judge Clemitson said she had previously given both men a chance of "wiping the slate clean" and to get help for their drug and alcohol addiction, but they had quickly gone on to commit many more offences.Pemberton was jailed for three years one month and banned from driving for six years 11 months.Johnson was jailed for two years 11 months and banned from driving for six years five months.
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Man arrested over double-fatal crash near Marston bailed
A man arrested in connection with a double-fatal crash has been released on bail, police males, aged 18 and 17, died following the collision involving a Ford Fiesta and a Kia Niro on Toll Bar Road, near Marston, shortly before 02:00 BST on drivers of both vehicles - a man and a woman, both aged 18 - were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The woman was released under investigation, Lincolnshire Police added. Officers appealed for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to contact to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Durham Police objection sees Raven Court children's home refused
Plans to convert a house into a children's home have been turned down amid objections from residents and County Council's planning committee rejected proposals for a home for three children on Raven Court in Shildon, County Police had objected, saying the location was unsuitable, while residents said its proximity to a nature reserve posed a risk to the children and put pressure on Taylor, from applicants The Family Tree Group, said it would have given youngsters the chance to "grow up in a home, not a facility". The property backs onto Middridge Vale, which itself backs on to a large nature reserve that is in some parts covered by dense woodland, which police advised posed a "great risk" to children who went missing from force also said there was a higher level of crime and anti-social behaviour in the area and so thought the location of the property was "not suitable for looked-after children". Letters of objection Residents said there had been heightened anxiety for the wellbeing of the area since the application was submitted, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Craddock, a single mother-of-two, said: "The proximity of this house to the nature reserve is a risk to all the children in the home and puts massive pressure on police services."We are not unreasonable people, it just doesn't work."In total, 117 letters of objection were Mr Taylor disputed the concerns, saying the facility would have been supported by trained carers 24/7."The police are stereotyping the children as criminals but they are victims," he members praised the applicant's intentions to support vulnerable children but said the police force's concerns were too serious to Elizabeth Pears said: "We are not working on the assumption that all of these children are going to be trouble. "But what has concerned me is the fact that the police believe that these children will not be safe there."That is the main reason that I'm not happy with it." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Marius Ionut Dencea jailed after killing partner in M180 crash
A father who killed his partner and left their toddler with a brain injury after a high-speed crash on a motorway has been jailed for nine Pitigoi, 34, and their 18-month-old son were in the back of a car driven by Marius Ionut Dencea when the vehicle left the M180 and hit a tree near Barnetby, North Lincolnshire, at 11:15 GMT on 5 mother and son were not wearing a seatbelt and the toddler was not in a child seat, Hull Crown Court 35, of Berkeley Street in Scunthorpe, previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The court heard the car had been travelling at 88mph (141km/h) and was not Jeremy Evans said Ms Pitigoi died in hospital from her injuries, while their son was in intensive care for 10 family were driving home after spending the night at a relative's in Grimsby following a party. Mr Evans said the road conditions were poor with "slush present on the third lane" in which Dencea was driving at excessive footage played in court showed Dencea's black Mitsubishi travelling on the outside lane and then moments later was seen off the carriageway on the embankment, next to the hard shoulder, flipped on its emergency services arrived, one officer "located a small child as he reached through a hole in the wreckage to the nearside", Mr Evans added."It became apparent there was no child seat or safety restraint in the vehicle."Mr Evans said the child suffered multiple serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, a broken jaw in two places and a skull fracture. History of offences Dencea's barrister, Dale Brooks, told the court his client had made "desperate attempts to try to help his family" at the scene."He is utterly distraught by what happened on that day and by what he did," said Mr Brooks."Undoubtedly, the greatest punishment on him is living with the guilt of what he's done, it will be a substantial burden he will have to carry."The barrister told the court the child had made a "miraculous recovery".However, passing sentence, Judge Mark Bury said the two-year-old had a "significant risk of developing neurological conditions".The court heard Dencea, who was also banned from driving for 12 and a half years, had a history of road traffic offences - six in the UK and one in Spain. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
