Thief who wrecked stolen car in Dudley police chase won't pay compensation as it could 'jeopardise rehabilitation from drugs'
A shoplifter who stole an idling car in Cradley Heath as its owner ordered a pizza and then led police on a dangerous chase including going off-road on grassland has avoided jail.
Thomas Reynolds, 27, also swerved having to pay compensation to his victim as the judge ruled any financial penalty would jeopardise his attempts to give up drugs.
Reynolds was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to several shoplifting offences, aggravating vehicle taking and dangerous driving.
At 6.40pm on December 29 last year, his victim popped into Gino's Pizza, Cradley Heath High Street, to make an order. However, he left the keys in his car outside.
Reynolds, of Pullmans Drive, Kingswinford, spotted the idling silver Skoda Fabia, jumped in and sped off. Two days later, at 12.30pm on New Year's Eve, police officers spotted the vehicle on Cinder Bank, Dudley.
"Officers saw the car on Cinder Bank and activated blue lights," prosecutor Ben Hodgkins told the court. "The defendant immediately accelerated to speeds of 60mph in 30mph zones. He drove on the wrong side of the road, overtook other vehicles and drove head on towards oncoming traffic.
"The then drove onto grassland, which fortunately did not have any pedestrians nearby. The car's front tyres became deflated and then he drove onto Cole Street the wrong way despite the tyres being deflated.
