A car thief has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after being caught hiding in a garden following a BMW theft in Doncaster. Josh Mansfield, 25, was arrested just 35 minutes after breaking into a home in Bessacarr in January and stealing the keys to a BMW.
After the stolen vehicle was spotted being driven erratically, police pursued Mansfield, who drove at speeds of up to 80mph (128km/h) before crashing into a lamppost. Despite the crash, Mansfield attempted to escape by hiding in a nearby garden, but officers were able to track him down thanks to footprints in the snow leading straight to his hiding spot.
Mansfield, who has no fixed address, pleaded guilty to burglary and motoring offences and was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court on February 3.
Detective Inspector Mark Nicholson-Gee emphasized the seriousness of Mansfield’s actions, saying: “People deserve to feel safe in their homes, and Mansfield’s actions destroyed this sense of safety for his own personal gain. His reckless driving could have caused significant harm, but thanks to the swift actions of my colleagues, he was arrested quickly and brought to justice.”
The sentence serves as a reminder that those who commit such crimes face serious consequences for endangering public safety.
