Sheffield Crown Court: Crime spree teen was attacked in custody after burglaries and dangerous driving

Sheffield Crown Court heard on April 12 and 13 how the 17-year-old teenager raided two homes and a joinery business, and was a passenger in an aggravated vehicle taking offence, handled stolen goods and drove dangerously as he collided with a parked motorist.

The teenager’s spree ran from August, 2021, to January, 2023, around Doncaster, and Katie Hodgkinson, defending, said he has since been ‘stabbed’ and injured while he has been remanded in custody.

Ms Hodgkinson said: “He has found custody very hard. He is away from his mum and his family. He was also attacked in custody over the weekend. He does have stitched cut to his upper lip where he was stabbed.”

Richardo Childs, prosecuting, told how the crime spree began in August, 2021, when a Goldthorpe resident woke to find their home had been burgled and their BMW vehicle was missing but the 17-year-old’s DNA was found at the property.

Police later spotted the BMW driving at high-speeds, according to Mr Childs, and after it had been abandoned a police dog tracked down two suspects including the defendant who had been the passenger.

The victim stated: “In the early hours of the morning I went downstairs for a glass of water and discovered the house was not as I had left it as we went to bed. The main thing was a large knife on a table and I was terrified and I thought are they still in my home. We felt so vulnerable and we felt a great amount of relief when we found out they were in custody.”

Mr Childs said the 17-year-old was also identified on CCTV after a burglary at a joinery business from where tools had been stolen in September, 2021.

The teenager was also found by police in August, 2022, in a stolen BMW vehicle, after it had failed to stop for police, according to Mr Childs.

Mr Childs said the defendant was also involved in a home burglary in November, 2022, when two vehicles, a bracelet, clothes, cash and a vacuum cleaner were taken.

Another home owner woke in January, 2023, to find a VW Golf vehicle missing and police spotted the vehicle in Askern, according to Mr Childs, before it reversed and struck a parked motorist’s vehicle and fled at speed.

Ms Hodgkinson said the 17-year-old, who also has previous convictions, has had a difficult up-bringing and he had not acted alone and was led astray by others.

She added: “He, through me, would like to say sorry to all of those who have been affected by his actions. He tells me he does not like to think back to how he behaved because he cannot cope and he is utterly ashamed.”

The defendant – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – pleaded guilty to: three counts of burglary; aggravated vehicle taking as a passenger; two counts of handling stolen goods; dangerous driving; driving without insurance; and driving while disqualified.

Judge Michael Slater sentenced the youth, who has been remanded in custody at Wetherby Young Offender Institution, to two years of detention and a training order. He was alsodisqualified from driving for 3 years.