Fleeing burglar smashed into police car after Leeds factory break-in
A known criminal who was pursued by police after burgling a factory purposely smashed into a police car during the ensuing chase.
Christopher Sykes then refused to get out of the car and attempted to drive off, despite being boxed in.
He was jailed this week after admitting the non-dwelling burglary and dangerous driving.
The 45-year-old also admitted two shoplifting charges from a supermarket, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and assault by beating.
Outlining his crimes in chronological order, Emily Thorbjornsen told Leeds Crown Court that Sykes stole £130 worth of items from Asda in Killingbeck on May 16.
Three days later he entered the store again at around 10.40am, but was challenged by a security guard after he had walked around for about 20 minutes.
Sykes warned him to let him go and pulled out a black baseball bat, which the worker tried to grab. Sykes then told him he had a knife.
He dropped the bat and his bag, which he had filled with £78 worth of meat he intended to steal, and fled.
Finally in the early hours of May 23, Sykes entered the machine shop of an asphalt company on Knowsthorpe Lane, Cross Green, and stole power tools.
He was spotted leaving the site and the alarm was raised. At around 3am police were alerted to an intoxicated driver and eventually found it was Sykes.
They pursued him for a short while on Torre Road, but he then tried to turn the wrong way onto the A64 but was met with the police car and brought to a halt.
Dashcam footage of the incident was played to the court, and showed officers then trying to get him out of the driver’s side as continued to attempt to pull away.
They used PAVA spray and he was eventually arrested. The tools he stole were found in his car.
Sykes, of Torre Mount, Burmantofts, has 45 previous convictions for 80 offences.
Mitigating, James Littlehales, said Sykes had been released from his last sentence eight months ago, but had been placed in a house away from his family.
He said he began taking drugs again and resorted back to crime, for which he said he was remorseful.
Sykes has been recalled on his last sentence - a 62-month jail sentence for robbery - and would not be released until 2027 at the earliest.
The judge, Recorder Tom Little KC handed him a new 27-month sentence, along with a 24-month driving ban.