A THIEF who handled two cars which were stolen in Derby and worth more than £30,000 has been jailed for a total of 16 months. Derby Crown Court heard how Christopher Clarke admitted handling an Alfa Romeo and a Peugeot, which had been taken from homes in Mickleover and Littleover.
Police even found a builder's hard hat bearing his name in one of the vehicles.
While he was on bail for this offence, he was caught stealing a horsebox from a field near Ashbourne by police who were "lying in wait" after the owner had reported a number of thefts.
While on bail for that second offence, he was stopped driving a car in Derby and admitted he was disqualified from driving until 20167 and had no insurance.
Clarke, of Stoke-on-Trent, smirked in the dock as Judge John Burgess jailed him him for a total of 16 months for the offences.
Judge Burgess said: "Although you have pleaded guilty to handling the stolen cars and not being involved in the original burglaries, they took place while families were asleep in their homes.
"In a victim statement, one of them tells how she feels violated that someone got into her home and took the keys to the family car.
"Another says she feels angry that people got into her home while she and her family were upstairs.
"You have a bad record and I am dealing with offences that took place while you were on bail twice for other offences."
Laura Pitman, prosecuting, said 29-year-old Clarke, of Whitehouse Road, Bucknall, was snared by police in the country close to Ashbourne on June 12.
She said: "The defendant and a second man were seen to arrive in a vehicle.
"The police watched as they tried to steal a trailer.
"They gained access using cutting equipment, namely an oxyacetylene cutter, entering the field and taking a horsebox."
Miss Pitman said the cars were taken during burglaries in the summer of 2013 and found near Clarke's Stoke home in September this year.
The driving offences, which saw police stop Clarke as he drove a Suzuki car in Derby, took place on July 31.
Clarke pleaded guilty to two counts of handling stolen goods, theft, criminal damage, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
Kevin Waddingham, mitigating, said: "Clearly I ask you [Judge Burgess] to give him credit for his guilty pleas.
"His offending at that time was down to the financial difficulties he had found himself in.
"He is now in full-time employment, working for a demolition company."
