Man guilty of metal theft
A GANG stole metal from a couple’s driveway as a woman pleaded with them to stop, a court heard.
A 21-year-old man from Birstall was found guilty of theft following a trial at Batley and Dewsbury Magistrates Court for his part in stealing £200 of metal from the driveway of a Mirfield couple.
Last August the man, Jonathan Daniel Clegg, of Withins Road, Birstall, went with Nathan Hallsworth and another man to the property on Trinity Street and loaded constructive steel belonging to Adrian Graham into Hallsworth’s van.
Prosecuting, Zahid Hussain said Hallsworth, who was jailed last October after pleading guilty to stealing the metal and four other thefts, had visited the house twice to ask if the metal on the driveway was scrap, but was told by the couple it was for a boat frame.
But on August 26 Hallsworth, Clegg and a third suspect returned to the property and began to take the steel.
Mrs Graham came out onto the driveway and shouted for the men to stop and put the stolen metal back.
But they continued loading the metal into the van before the third man drove the van away, while Hallsworth and Clegg walked alongside.
Mrs Graham told the court she called her husband for help after the gang ignored her pleas.
Mr Graham then called police before returning home and blocking the van in the narrow one-way street.
The third man ran off but Hallsworth and Clegg were arrested and the metal recovered.
Clegg told the court he did not think he was doing anything wrong and stopped loading the metal into the van when Mrs Graham began shouting.
Defending, Simon Lindley said: “He may be naive, and hasn’t done what another person would have done in making further enquiries with Mr Hallsworth, but that doesn‘t mean he was acting dishonestly when he was putting the items in the van.”
Delivering her verdict, deputy district judge Ms Hirst said Mrs Graham made it very clear there was no permission to take the metal as scrap. She said: “I accept you were not the primary offender but you did nothing to distance yourself from the offence when you realised it was being carried out.”
Clegg received a three-month community order and curfew and was ordered to pay £150 costs.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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