Jailed: Thief who stole unmarked police car among £250k haul

Birmingham Crown Court was told how Ryan O'Grady and an accomplice would steal high-value Land Rover cars, using a hi-tech electronic device to foil their security systems. The offences were committed in just nine days.

When closed-circuit television evidence finally led to 30-year-old O'Grady being spotted, he tried to evade capture and led police on a chase, the court heard.

O'Grady, of Pendleton Grove, Acocks Green, Birmingham, admitted five counts of theft when he appeared before the court this week.

Miss Laura Hobson, prosecuting, said on September 16 last year, CCTV cameras at Guy Salmon garage in Coventry picked up a man arriving in a black Audi A3, and stealing a Range Rover. The Audi also drove off, she said.

The same day, the same day the same car was spotted arriving at another address in Coventry, with a man getting out and stealing another Range Rover.

Two days later security cameras picked up a Range Rover being stolen from Birmingham Airport. This time, a red Audi was used in the theft.

The red Audi was used again when a Land Rover Discovery, which turned out to be an unmarked police car, was stolen from outside the Birmingham Hilton Hotel on September 24 last year.

On September 25 a Range Rover Sport belonging to Lucy Foster was taken from outside a beauty parlour in Yew Tree Lane, Yardley, Birmingham.

Again, a red Audi was used, Miss Hobson told the court, and later that day the Audi was picked up by police cameras.

Miss Hobson said O'Grady, who was driving the car, tried to evade capture, causing police to chase him. After his arrest he admitted dangerous driving and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Miss Hobson said in the boot of the car, which belonged to O'Grady's mother, were items taken from Mrs Foster's car, including beauty equipment.

In a victim impact statement, Mrs Foster said the theft had taken place on her wedding anniversary, which was also the day before her 40th birthday.

"It was her dream car which she had worked hard to buy," Miss Hobson told the court.

"She had difficulty with her insurance and although the car was insured, she was not able to get a like-for-like replacement."

Mr Sunit Sandhu, representing O'Grady, said he played a lesser role than his accomplice.

"He was the driver, but he was not involved with the planning or selection of vehicles to steal," he said.

Mr Sandhu added that O'Grady had a child, which had focused his mind on the choices he faced in life.

Passing sentence, Judge Rupert Mayo, said under normal circumstance he would have sentenced him to three-and-a-half-years, but reduced the sentence by 14 months in view of the time he had served for the dangerous driving offence.