Leeds man caught in stolen £20,000 Mercedes

Officers also found cocaine hidden in a wall cavity after searching Luke Frearson’s home on Old Run Road, Belle Isle, Leeds.

Leeds Crown Court was told the Mercedes was stolen during a break-in at a house on Lotherton Lane, Aberford, in the early hours of June 10 last year.

Frearson, 34, was seen driving the vehicle onto his property at the rear of the Engine pub at 7.15pm later that day.

Hours later he was seen parking the vehicle, by now fitted with false number plates, onto the driveway of his former partner’s father’s home on Lanshaw Terrace, Belle Isle.

Frearson was arrested and car parts from vehicles stolen in burglaries and thefts in the Woodhouse and Gipton areas of Leeds and Stockton-on-Tees were found in the yard of his property.

The total value of the stolen vehicles was £40,000.

Officers searched his family home and found just under six grams of cocaine, with a purity of 85 per cent.

Frearson pleaded guilty to four offences of handling stolen goods and possession of cocaine.

Lindsey Lobley, mitigating, said Frearson had been asked to park the Mercedes on his property by his friend.

He said he then had to move the vehicle as there was problems with the drainage on his land.

Ms Lobley said Frearson had no knowledge of the number plates being changed on the vehicle. She added that Frearson had accepted he had bought the car parts but had no involvement in the vehicles being stolen.

Frearson was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work.

Judge Guy Kearl, QC, told Frearson: “It seems to me that you are minimising your accounts of your involvement in this.

“While is must be a custodial sentence, I am prepared to suspend the sentence.”