Car thieves ‘face average £198 fine’

Bigger fines for phone use; low conviction rate But 200 cars stolen every day as crooks go hi-tech ● ●

Outrage at poor conviction rate and low penalties

CAR thieves have just a 50 per cent chance of avoiding a conviction if caught, new research has shown.

Of the 7,405 individuals charged for vehicle theft between 2012 and 2016 in England and Wales, just 3,696 ended up being convicted, according to analysis of Ministry of Justice and the Office of National Statistics crime data by insurer Churchill.

Furthermore, only 20 per cent of all charges resulted in a custodial sentence, with an average jail term standing at 21 months. Thieves who were fined for an offence faced an average fine of £198 – less than the current fixed penalty notice for mobile phone offences at the wheel.

According to the Sentencing Council, convictions for vehicle theft range from a seven-year custodial sentence to no custodial sentence and a Band C fine that’s 125 to 175 per cent of an offender’s weekly income.

The research comes at a time of rising numbers of car thefts. Police records show just under 380,000 cars were reported as stolen in the same fiveyear period, meaning less than one per cent of cars stolen resulted in someone receiving a jail sentence, fine or community service. The past three years alone have seen a 30 per cent spike in vehicle thefts as thieves have adopted hi-tech methods to unlock and start cars.

The analysis also revealed a sharp increase in car theft among under-18s, with juvenile convictions increasing by 52 per cent between 2012 and 2016. London’s Metropolitan Police had the highest number of charges of vehicle theft over five years, with 1,490 cases sent to the courts – a fifth of all car theft crimes charged nationally.

Steve Barret, head of car insurance at Churchill, said: “It is concerning that so few custodial sentences are handed down for vehicle theft.

“At present the deterrents are not strong enough to prevent criminals, with more than 200 vehicles reported stolen every day. We believe the punishment needs to reflect the impact of the crime, with greater sentences and fines for the theft of a vehicle.”

“Less than one per cent of car thefts resulted in someone being convicted” “Average fine for car theft is less than the one for using your phone at the wheel”