Drunk thief back in jail for taking police car
Court Reporter A CAR thief stole a police car when an officer got out looking to help him – then created a scene like a “warzone” after crashing and overturning it.
Police had been called out after Callum Sexton was ejected from a taxi and witnesses wrongly thought he had been the victim of an assault.
An officer got out of his marked BMW patrol car to try to locate Sexton, leaving the engine running on the cold winter’s night just after Christmas.
A court heard Sexton – who had downed a bottle of vodka – then sneaked into the driver’s seat and sped off, driving dangerously and erratically before losing control and crashing.
The police car was left on its side with smoke coming out of it and Sexton was arrested.
Newcastle Crown Court heard it happened on December 28 after Sexton, 22, ordered a taxi to pick him up in Newcastle and take him to Stockton.
During the journey he downed almost a full bottle of vodka and was becoming increasingly agitated, saying he had just been released from prison and the police were coming for him and if they did,the cabbie was not to stop.
Eventually the driver decided he’d had enough of his behaviour and told Sexton he was taking him no further, pulling over on a roundabout of the A690 near the A19 at Houghton-le-Spring.
Alec Burns, prosecuting, said: “The driver got out of the taxi, went to the passenger side and the defendant took a swing at him. He pushed Mr Sexton with two hands and he fell to the ground.
“People passing witnessed it and thought it was a taxi driver attacking a member of the public and they called the police.
“The police attended in their BMW 330 estate vehicle at 7.45pm. The police officer got out of the car and went to look for a fallen person.
“He couldn’t find one and when he looked for his car, he couldn’t find that either because the defendant jumped into it and drove off, badly as it happens.
“The car was driven very badly, the lights were flashing, it accelerated very quickly and witnesses thought it was behaving very oddly.”
The court heard Sexton hit another car before crashing and overturning it.
Mr Burns said: “On Washington Highway, the vehicle was found crashed.
“It was described as like a warzone, with the police car on its side and smoke coming from it.
“The defendant was still inside, he was not wearing a seat belt and shouted ‘Don’t move me, I’m dying, I want to die.’ He was leaning against the roof.”
When police arrived on the scene, he said: “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done it. Just help me, I’m sorry.”
He was “clearly under the influence” but refused to give a specimen, the court heard. Sexton, who was living in a hostel in Newcastle at the time, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, having no insurance, failing to stop after an accident and failing to provide a specimen.
He was jailed for 16 months with a three-year driving ban to begin upon his release after serving his sentence.
Recorder Tahir Khan told him: “It was foolish and dangerous but in the end nobody was hurt, except possibly you.”
The court heard he had been released from prison just five days earlier for aggravated vehicle taking and failing to provide a specimen.
Glenn Gatland, defending, said Sexton had a traumatic childhood and witnessed his father committing suicide by jumping in a river.
At the time of the offence he was having problems seeing his young son, the court heard.
Mr Gatland added: “He saw the police car with the engine running. The officer had left the car to search for the defendant. He got in and drove off.
“He is full of remorse and he recognises he could have caused harm to other people and he bitterly regrets that and is very sorry.”