Police chase pair get locked up for break-ins
A burglar who drove a van through a road block before trying to outrun officers during a police chase has been jailed for his role in a string of offences on the Shropshire/Mid Wales border.
Leon Roberts was also bitten on the arm by a police dog after running across two fields trying to evade capture during the chase on an unclassified road at Llanerfyl, near Welshpool, on August 28.
A surveyor walking in the road was forced to dive off out of the way to avoid being hit by the Ford Transit van driven by Roberts and Roberts also forced the van past a police car blocking the road, smashing a wing mirror in the process.
Roberts and his accomplice William Evans broke into six outbuildings in the grounds of homes in Llanerfyl, Llanwddyn and Llanfyllin on August 26 and 28, stealing chainsaws, a scrambler motorcycle worth £7,000, and leaf blowers before being pursued by the police helicopter and a car. The duo had admitted charges at an earlier hearing, but appeared at the court for sentencing yesterday.
Roberts, 20, of Cherry Tree Drive, St Martins, near Oswestry, had admitted six charges of burglary and four driving offences and was given two years in a young offenders' institute and an 18 month driving ban.
Evans, 18, of Bryn Mally Park, Pentre Broughton, Wrexham, was given an 18 month sentence in a young offenders' institute suspended for 18 months and an 18-month community order with a probation requirement. He had admitted six charges of burglary.
The van used was confiscated by the court.
Judge Phillip Hughes, sentencing, said it had been a pre-meditated act to raise money.
Mr Karl Scholz, prosecuting, said police had received reports of burglaries at outbuildings on the Powys/Shropshire border on August 26 and, when similar reports came in two days later, a police car was sent to the area.
He said: "A police officer saw the van and the force helicopter was launched to assist. A blue light and siren pursuit followed and the van forced its way past one police car parked across the road, smashing a wing mirror as it went.
"A male surveyor was forced to dive off the road to avoid a collision. Roberts, the driver, got out and ran across two fields and a river and was caught by an officer and dog.
Mr Julian Goode, for Roberts, said his client had carried out the offences as he was in "considerable" drug debt owing to a cannabis habit and has since branded his actions "foolish".
Miss Laura Nash, for Evans, said her client was "terrified" of the court and was full of remorse for his actions.
