A PROLIFIC car thief with an “overwhelming desire” to commit crime and who glorified prison life and is today allowed to stay in Ipswich.

A PROLIFIC car thief with an “overwhelming desire” to commit crime and who glorified prison life and is today allowed to stay in Ipswich.

Police applied to have Darrell Lambert kicked out of town on his release from prison to protect Ipswich people from “harassment, alarm and distress”.

Drink driving, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, car theft and being a passenger in stolen cars has resulted in 82 convictions for the 20-year-old.

But despite Lambert's appalling record, which began when he was just 13, and despite car crime rising by significant levels in the Gainsborough area whenever Lambert is out of prison, magistrates decided the father-of-two should be allowed to remain in the town with his family.

Ian Seeley, prosecuting, at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court warned that although Lambert, of Hawke Road, had only spent about four months out of prison in the last two-and-a-half years he had managed to commit 20 offences in that time.

Lambert is currently serving 22 weeks in Norwich Prison for car-related offences.

The authorities also applied for him to be prohibited from being carried in any vehicle except public transport, emergency vehicles and licensed hire vehicles to prevent him being a passenger in stolen cars.

Magistrates decided against the first part of the order but agreed to the second part with the amendment that he could also be carried in vehicles driven by three specified members of his family.

Mr Seeley listed a string of Lambert's offences which included a police car being forced off the road at night when a stolen car was driven towards it with no headlights on, driving at speeds of 80mph in a 30mph limit, and driving the wrong way around roundabouts.

He said Lambert had repeatedly reoffended within weeks of being released from prison, had repeatedly breached bail conditions and had repeatedly been offensive to police officers.

He added: “He plainly has no regard for the police or this court. When he was arrested for a breach of bail he said 'from now on I'm going to ram every cop car I see'.”

Mr Seeley said a probation report stated “He glorifies prison life and boasts about it to others.”

Mr Seeley added: “God forbid if he kills someone by continuing to drive as he is. He will be looking at 14 years inside if he doesn't kill himself first.”

Ian Duckworth, for Lambert, said his client “has an overwhelming desire to commit crime and steal cars” and this latest ASBO would “set him up for a fall.”

Magistrates made the amended ASBO for a period of two years and warned Lambert he would face up to five years in prison if he breached the order.

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