Hapless thieves stole Leeds City Council pavement from outside police officer’s home

Alan Gardiner and Steven Broadhead were seen backing up a Ford Transit van on the Leeds street and tried to make off with the Yorkshire Stone slabs.

But the unsuspecting pair had no idea they were outside the home of an officer whom they had just woken after a night shift.

The pair appeared at Leeds Crown Court where prosecutor Philip Standfast said their van that was bearing false number plates.

They pulled up outside the property just after noon on May 26, 2020, and began prising up the flag with crowbars.

The officer and her partner ran from the house to apprehend the pair, who scrambled back into the van.

Broadhead trapped the officer’s arm as he tried to shut the door.

They then ran off with Broadhead shouting: “We will come back for your house.”

Gardiner added: “We will get an axe.”

Eight Yorkshire Stone paving slabs worth £1,000 were found in the back of the van, while forensic analysis of items from the van tied both defendants to the offence.

Neither gave comments during their police interviews following their arrest.

They eventually pleaded guilty to stealing the stones. Broadhead also admitted assaulting an emergency worker.

Broadhead has 36 convictions for 157 offences, 82 of which were for theft.

Mitigating for Broadhead, Stephen Littlewood said that despite his record, Broadhead’s offending had “slowed down” since 2020 and had largely managed to stay out of trouble.

No mitigation was offered for Gardiner after Judge Robin Mairs said he would not lock them up.

He said: “Broadhead, you have an horrendous record for dishonesty, one of the worst I have ever seen, but it has tailed off.

"You Gardener have much fewer convictions.”

Broadhead, age 43, of Nowell Walk, Halton, was given 21 months’ jail, suspended for 24 months, and given a four-month curfew order.

Gardiner, age 53, of Wykeback Road, Osmondthorpe, was handed 12 months’ jail, suspended for 24 months, and 150 hours of unpaid work.

But Judge Mairs warned them if they failed to comply, saying: “I will send you to Armley (HMP Leeds), I can’t make it any clearer than that.”