Car thief confronted by terrified lone Leeds woman in her own home
Thief with history of car crime stole vehicle during daylight break-in
A woman was confronted by a car thief who had smashed his way into her home, before he snatched her keys and drove off.
Dylan Armer was part of a gang jailed in 2021 for using a high-tech device to help steal £180,000 worth of cars.
But the 34-year-old reverted to his old ways on January 21 when he broke into a home near Leeds city centre.
Leeds Crown Court heard that the female occupant was working at home when she heard a loud bang at around 9.25am.
She got up to investigate and found Armer stood at her back door. He had smashed the glass and was attempting to grab the keys to her Suzuki Swift.
When he saw her, he tried to force open the door. The panic-stricken woman then closed the door and put her weight against it to prevent Armer from entering.
She then heard the sound of her car being started and driven away.
However, the car was found abandoned near Guiseley less than hour later.
Following his arrest, Armer denied the break-in. However, he admitted using a stolen bank card earlier that month in shops at Cross Gates.
Prosecutor Oishee Dey said the card owner had received notifications that his card was being used, but had no idea it was missing.
Armer told police he had simply found the card on a bus and had “tried his luck”.
He admitted three counts of fraud, dwelling burglary, theft and assault of an emergency worker after he threw a bag at a police officer when he was being arrested, although he caused no injuries.
Armer, of Abbey Garth, Yeadon, has nine previous convictions for 25 offences.
In 2021 he was part of a gang that used a £20,000 device that looked like a Nintendo Gameboy and could use wireless technology to unlock keyless cars and start their engines.
They stole five Mitsubishi Outlander vehicles over a four-day period. Armer was jailed for 30 months for his role.
A probation report into Armer for his latest offending found that he relapsed into drug use again, and that he had “genuine remorse” for the burglary.
The report suggested he was grateful for being remanded into custody to help him address his substance abuse.
Armer appeared in court over a video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand.
No mitigation was offered by his barrister after Judge Christopher Batty said he wanted to adjourn the case for more details about support being offered by drug counsellors outside of prison.
He told Armer: “I’ve not made a decision yet. You are not out of the woods yet but if there’s a decent structure around you I could be persuaded to release you.”
He will appear in court for sentencing on May 21.