'Terrified' Leeds shopkeeper clung to bonnet of her Mini as known thief drove it away

She was able to climb into the car and tried to stop Duane Cale who drove erratically and told her he would purposely crash, telling her: “I will take you with me, it’s your choice.”

Cale was jailed at Leeds Crown Court after admitting a string of offences, including robbery, burglary and ABH.

The victim, who runs a health clinic in Rothwell, was in the side room of a shop on May 28 last year when she heard the door open twice.

Expecting a customer, she entered the front area and noticed her holdall was missing from behind the till.

She quickly left the shop and noticed the brake lights of her Mini illuminated, prosecutor Lily Wildman said.

She banged on the boot of the car and when Cale began moving off, she scrambled onto the bonnet. She was able to open the door and climb into the back seats. Cale then began making threats to “bray her in” and kill her as he continued to drive.

She tried grabbing his head to make him stop and then tried to call 999, but he snatched the phone from her.

When she was eventually able to re-dial, Cale jumped from the moving vehicle on Churchfield Grove in Rothwell. The woman then grabbed the handbrake to stop it crashing.

In a victim impact statement by the victim red to the court, she said: “What appears to be a brave act to many people was actually very frightening. I was genuinely terrified.”

She said he had repeated flashbacks to the incident.

Cale was later found have to have left finger prints, but while at large, he committed further offences.

The 41-year-old was caught burgling a property on Highfield Place, Allerton Bywater, on June 27. When a male occupant returned he found Cale in his home trying to steal electronic devices. He punched the man and bit his chest in the struggle, before fleeing.

Cale, of Cardinal Road, Beeston, was eventually arrested on July 25 at an address in Farnley following a police appeal to the public.

Appearing in court on a video link from HMP Leeds he admitted theft, robbery, dangerous driving and having no insurance from the first incident. He also admitted burglary, ABH and criminal damage from the second.

Following his arrest he was returned to prison to finish the remainder of a previous 40-month sentence for burglary. He has 26 previous convictions for 133 offences.

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Mitigating, Eleanor Durdy said Cale had a troubled upbringing in foster care. She said he is “entirely institutionalised” due to his frequent jail sentences.

She added: “He has an appalling record and he accepts that. His life has been nothing more than going to prison - it’s become a revolving door.”

She said the father-of-two had also become addicted to the prescribed opiate substitute, Subutex.

Judge Kate Rayfield jailed Cale for five years in total, and banned him from driving for six-and-a-half years.