Moped-riding burglar drove on Leeds pavements during police-escape bid
A burglar tried to outrun police on a stolen moped in Leeds city centre, mounting pavements and running red lights.
Jonathan Nye, who has a long criminal record, was jailed this week, along with an accomplice Tyler Kemp with whom he tried to burgle a home in Pudsey.
Nye appeared at Leeds Crown Court via a video link from HMP Leeds, alongside Kemp.
Incredible police watchguard footage from November 16 last year, showed Nye on the Yamaha moped in Leeds city centre with a pillion passenger. The bike had been stolen weeks earlier.
Nye rode at 30mph on pavements to avoid pursuing officers heading towards Armley. Three police cars were involved in the chase in which he went through red lights, failed to stop at junctions and went the wrong way around a roundabout.
He reached up to 50mph in residential areas and the chase only came to a halt when a police made “tactical contact” with the moped, prosecutor Henry Fernandez told the court.
But prior to this, Nye had burgled a home overnight on July 29 / 30 last year, in Farnley, in which he gained access via an unlocked door.
While the occupant was asleep upstairs, he helped himself to items worth £1,200, including a laptop, iPad and a games console. He returned to the property twice to grab the items, which he later tried to sell at a pawn shop and helped identify him.
The 29-year-old was arrested on August 14 and turned aggressive, kicking out at officers , tried to headbutt one and threatened to spit on them.
Then in the early hours of September 22 last year, Nye and Kemp along with a third person tried to break into a home in Pudsey, using a blowtorch on a door to burn off the lock.
They were disturbed by the occupier who was awoken and had seen them on her property, so they fled as the police arrived. Officers recovered the blowtorch, mole grips, balaclavas and crucially, Kemp’s mobile phone.
Nye, of Pinder Street, Farnley, admitted burglary, attempted burglary, two assaults on an emergency worker, dangerous driving, taking without the owner’s consent, having no licence and insurance.
He has 43 previous convictions for 90 offences including two previous burglaries.
Mitigating, Eddison Flint said his best point were his early guilty pleas. He said he had put his time behind bars to good use, working.
Mr Flint said: “At 29-years-old, he can’t keep taking drugs that lead him back to the same place - Armley [prison].”
He said that he also had a four-year-old child and wants to be a good role model.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Kemp, of no fixed address, admitted a single charge of attempted burglary. He has nine previous convictions for 16 offences.
Mitigating on his behalf, Michael Walsh said: “He thinks he needs to mature and grow of that [behaviour].”
Judge Simon Batiste jailed Kemp for two years, and Nye for four years. Nye was also given a five-year driving ban.
Referring to Nye’s moped incident, Detective Constable Ed Tidswell of the Leeds District Crime Team said: “Nye thought he could evade police by travelling around the city on a moped.
“By working together with our colleagues in the Proactive Intercept Team, we were able to build up intelligence about his movements to make sure we were in the right areas to catch him.
“His driving on the night put himself and other people at serious risk and showed a complete disregard for any other road users.
“It is right that he and Kemp are now behind bars and I hope residents can be reassured by the firm action taken to bring them to justice.”