Speeding motorist took two vehicles in one day

A MAN took a delivery scooter from a pizza takeaway in Cardiff before later speeding in a stolen car.

Matthew Ricketts was unsteady on his feet and slurring when he was stopped by police after hitting a kerb.

The court heard the incident began at around 12.30pm on July 14 last year at the Papa John’s pizza takeaway on City Road.

David Pugh, prosecuting, said Ricketts took a delivery scooter, which was damaged by the time it was later recovered.

The court heard Ricketts was seen later the same day at around 9.30pm in a Volkswagen Golf stolen from Beddau, near Llantrisant. He failed to pull over, but instead “accelerated away” through an estate in Pentrebane, Cardiff.

He sped through Beechey Drive, which has a 30mph limit, while “swerving”, before reaching around 50mph on Orange Grove and hitting a kerb.

He was found to have 524 microgrammes of the cocaine by-product benzoylecgonine (BZE) in his blood – more than five times over the legal limit for driving.

The court heard on November 22, he stole two bottles of perfume worth £105 from the House of Fraser (Howells) department store in Cardiff.

Ricketts, from Bute Street in Cardiff, admitted dangerous driving, driving while under the influence of drugs, and without a licence or insurance. He also admitted theft and failing to surrender.

The 33-year-old was found guilty of two counts of aggravated vehicle taking. The offences breached two suspended sentences.

Tim Lewis, defending, said: “He is just grateful that no one was seriously or fatally injured as a result of his actions that day.”

Ricketts was jailed for a total of two years and 18 weeks and disqualified from driving for three years from the date he is released.