Doncaster burglar who embarked on dangerous high speed police chase jailed

A Doncaster burgler who raided a family home in the middle of the night and later embarked on a dangerous police chase lasting for more than 20 miles has been jailed.
Nathan ScholeyNathan Scholey
Nathan Scholey

Sheffield Crown Court was told how Nathan Scholey broke into a family home in Armthorpe Road, Wheatley Hills between midnight and 8am on August 2 last year, while the occupants were asleep upstairs.

The female occupant was made aware of the break-in when she received a phone-call at around 8am that morning from a passer-by who had found her handbag on the street outside and found her telephone number from documentation kept inside her bag.

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Scholey gained access to the property through the back door which had been left unlocked, and once inside he stole a number of items from her living room as well as the keys to her home and her Purgeot motor car.

The following day officers in patrolling police car drove past the stolen vehicle as it was travelling near to the junction of Bawtry Road and Stirrup Road. After police software detected the vehicle had been flagged as stolen, police drove after the vehicle and signalled that Scholey should pull over.

Scholey was driving with 35-year-old friend Stephen Reece in the passenger seat.

The court was told how instead of pulling over Scholey began to drive faster, reaching speeds of 80 miles per hour (mph) in a residential area with a speed limit of 30mph.

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This led to a police chase which saw Scholey, of HMP Doncaster, Marshgate pursued by police for around 21 miles over the space of 17 minutes. The average speed used by Scholey during the chase was 74mph, with a maximum speed of 110mph.

During the chase Scholey drove on blind bends and across roundabouts at high speeds, and also over a humped back bridge with all four wheels off the ground.

The chase only came to an end when Scholey crashed the vehicle, causing so much damage it had to be written off. The collision also led to Reece being flung from the passenger seat and to him suffering head injuries.

Both Scholey and Reece, of Southfield Road, Thorne were apprehended at the scene of the crash.

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Scholey was charged with burglary and aggravated vehicle taking, and Reece with taking without consent.

The court was told how Scholey has a total of 35 convictions for 75 offences, the first of which took place when he was just 13-years-old.

Scholey and Reece pleaded guilty to all charges at a previous hearing.

Judge Michael Slater sentenced Scholey to a total of 42 months in prison, and handed Reece a sentence of 10 months.

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PC Rob Scarrow, the investigating officer, said: “The car was pursued for about 21 miles, during which time it reached a maximum speed of over 110 miles per hour.

“Moments later, the car crashed into a bank and a tree and Scholey was seen getting out of the car. He was immediately arrested and brought into custody.

“Scholey is a repeat offender and I’m pleased that he’s now behind bars.

“Victims of burglaries can be greatly affected by these intrusive crimes and I hope that the victim in this particular case can feel some relief in knowing that Scholey has been jailed.

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“I’d always advise that people take as many steps as they can to protect their home and their property, ultimately making it harder for someone to break in.

“For example, ensure the locks on your doors are in good condition and it might also be worth looking at getting locks on your windows, too.

“If you’re going away on holiday, don’t advertise that your home will be empty by posting on social media, for example.

“For further advice and burglary prevention tips, please visit our website, southyorks.police.uk.”