Drug-fuelled Wakefield van thief who rammed gates and crashed is jailed

A BANNED driver high on drugs who crashed a van  he had stolen from a storage compound in Wakefield has been jailed for 16 months
Batley Road, Wakefield. Photo: Google.Batley Road, Wakefield. Photo: Google.
Batley Road, Wakefield. Photo: Google.

Leeds Crown Court heard Alan Sadler, 34, and Alex Brown, 22, raided the caravan storage compound off Batley Road, Wakefield, in the early hours of December 16.

A security guard spotted Brown trying to open gates before Sadler drove the van at the gates and rammed them open before speeding off.

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Sadler was arrested after crashing the van into a wall nearby and the security guard detained Brown until police arrived.

The court heard the van, worth £6,500, was a write-off and the pair caused a total of £12,000 damage to property.

Brown was asked to empty his pockets and had scissors, a knife and a screwdriver.

The court heard Sadler and Brown were both high on valium and Sadler was over the drink drive limit. Sadler admitted burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage, driving while disqualified, failing to provide a breath specimen and driving with no insurance. Brown admitted burglary and going equipped for burglary.

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James Littlehales, mitigating for Sadler, said: “This offence was a result of him acquiring illegal valium from his co-accused and taking it to such an extent that he has little memory of what occurred.”

Sadler was jailed for 16 months and banned from driving for two years. Brown was handed an eight month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.