Joyrider caged after motoring spree

TEEN joyrider Sheldon Petrie is behind bars today after admitting to more than 60 motoring offences.

The 18-year-old, of Montgomery Road, Ipswich, who formerly lived in Hawke Road, was sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institute and told he would be out on licence after a year.

Petrie was found guilty by an Ipswich Crown Court jury of driving while disqualified and dangerous driving. He also pleaded guilty to stealing a £3,000 Ford Escort in November and to taking two more Escorts without consent in December.

He also admitted allowing himself to be carried in stolen cars and to failing to report an accident

Petrie was caught driving while under the influence of drugs and agreed that most of the offences were committed while he was on bail.

Petrie asked for 65 similar offences to be taken into consideration.

The court heard that last June, Petrie, a disqualified driver, was spotted by police in a Ford Orion. The car mounted the pavement in Waterworks Street, collided with a silver car and then a wall in Bond Street. The occupants of the Orion, including Petrie, ran from the car with the police chasing them.

Petrie was arrested. First he told the police he was not in the car, then he said he bought the car for £50 the day before, then he told police he was in the car, but not driving it.

Jude Durr, mitigating, said Petrie had no father figure in his life and his mother's partner had died of a heroin overdose a year ago.

He said Petrie had been in a young offenders' institute for similar offences in the past and was immature for his age.

Judge Beddard sentenced Petrie to a total of two years in a young offenders' institute and disqualified him from driving for 12 months. He said: "You drive while you are disqualified anyway, so I do not want you to be disqualified any longer than you have to be."