Car thief avoids jail despite £36k haul

A prolific car thief from the Black Country who confessed to stealing more than £36,000 worth of vehicles and other goods has walked away with a community order.

Father-of-two Paul Nightingale, aged 29, of Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Bentley, was serving a 16-week prison sentence when he told police officers he had also stolen a £9,000 Ford Fiesta, and £800 of worming tablets from the Pets at Home store in Queensville Retail Park, Stafford.

Wolverhampton Crown Court, sitting at The Waterfront in Brierley Hill yesterday, heard he had owned up to the crimes to try and "wipe the slate clean".

He also asked for six other vehicle thefts to be taken into consideration, along with stealing a plasma TV from a Tesco supermarket.

Judge Hilary Watson gave him a two year community order including 12 months supervision, along with a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

"I suggest you put to the test your resolve to turn your life around," she said.

Mr Mark Phillips, prosecuting, told the court the Ford's owner had left the car running to warm it up in January this year, and had locked it with a spare key.

He said Nightingale hopped in when she unlocked the car to put something in the passenger side, and despite her putting her hands on the bonnet and shouting at him: "You are not having my car", he drove off, causing her to fall over in the snow. The car was later recovered.

"He has a considerable number of previous convictions, which begin in 1995," Mr Phillips said.

"They are mostly for acquisitive and road traffic offences. He has also served numerous custodial sentences over a number of years."

Mr Phillips told the court the total cost of the crimes committed, including the TV and tablets, was £36,400, of which £18,400 could not be recovered.

Nightingale informed police of the additional thefts while he was serving a 16-week sentence for six other car thefts totalling £40,000. He targeted cars left running to warm up.

Mr Mark Bradshaw, defending, said: "He knows what is at the root of the difficulties in his life — it's drugs," he added.