Leeds teen burglar sent pic of stolen bank card and joked to mates 'spend up lads'
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Dillon Owen hit the homes in Hyde Park and Armley over a 12-day period, taking the car keys and other items, used a stolen bank card fraudulently and fled from a petrol station without paying for fuel. He even rolled one of the stolen cars, writing it off.
The 18-year-old was jailed this week at Leeds Crown Court. It was heard that he broke into the first flat on Moorland Road in the early hours of May 4, swiping the keys for a VW Polo parked outside and driving it away.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad

At 8.25am he filled the car up at the Jet Garage on Stanningley Road with £54 worth of fuel, then took off without payment. But he did not get far before he crashed into two moving vehicles, rolled the Polo and smashed into a third. He then got out and fled on foot.
In the early hours of May 14, he then broke into a property on Congress Street, Armley. At around 3am the female occupant realised her laptop was missing, along with coats, debit cards and car keys, as was her Citroen C1 parked outside.
Owen then used the cards at the BP Garage on Henconner Lane for two transactions totalling more than £75. CCTV from the shop later helped identify him.
At 7pm that day, the Citroen was recovered from Musgrave Rise in Bramley with £1,500 worth of damage caused.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdFinally, two days later on May 16, he entered a house of multiple occupancy on Royal Park Road in Hyde Park, and two cars were taken, suggesting he was part of a group. A Suzuki Swift was taken along with a Renault Modus.
The Swift was later recovered, but the Modus was never found. Owen, of Landseer View, Bramley, was apprehended later that day.
His phone was analysed and it was found he had taken the photo of one of the stolen bank cards and sent it to friends with the tagline: “Spend up lads”.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHe had also tried to sell the Renault Modus by sending out messages offering the vehicle. He gave a no-comment interview to police.
Appearing in court via video link from HMP Doncaster, he admitted three dwelling burglaries, two counts of fraud by false representation, dangerous driving and making off without payment.
He has four previous convictions for nine offences, and was sent to a young offender institute in January by Truro Crown Court in Cornwall for a motor-related offence.
Mitigating, Stephen Smithson said Owen had owed drug money but realised he could not turn to burglary to pay his debts off. A probation report suggested that Owen had fallen under the influence of his brothers and older peers.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdJudge Richard Mansell KC told Owen: “You are still only 18 years of age. It’s clear you have little or no appreciation of the effect you have on your victims.”
Judge Mansell said he “strongly suspected” he had been working with others as part of a team to burgle homes and steal cars.
Taking his age into account, he gave him 16 months at a young offender institute, and banned him from driving for 44 months.