Teenager wrote off cars after stealing van

A TEENAGER of many talents lacked a key skill when he stole a van – the ability to drive.

The 17-year-old wrote off two cars within ten seconds of stealing the van and fled when he got stuck.

He jumped into a canal in a bid to evade arrest but the escape bid failed too.

The youth, who had previously been found guilty of a charge of aggravated vehicle taking and had admitted failing to stop after an accident and having no insurance, was sentenced to a nine-month youth rehabilitation order and was banned from driving for 12 months.

The judge who sentenced the youth – a gifted musician and footballer – admitted she was amazed he stole the van knowing he could not drive. She told him he had narrowly avoided a jail sentence.

Recorder Rachel Brand QC told him: “I do not know what you were thinking of because you cannot drive.

“Anyone less suitable to steal a van, it is hard to think of. Within moments you crashed into parked cars causing substantial damage, inconvenience and financial loss.

“I could easily send you to custody for this. You should really be ashamed of bringing this kind of trouble on your mother.

“You are a talented musician. I suggest you focus on that.”

The teenager took the van after the driver parked it in Melchett Road, Kings Norton, on the afternoon of September 21 last year.

Kiran Pourawal, prosecuting, at Birmingham Crown Court, said: “This all happened within ten seconds. There is CCTV which shows his lack of driving ability when he collides with a parked Audi, and having collided with that vehicle he drives a further ten metres and collides with another vehicle, a Hyundai.” She said both the Audi and Hyundai were left written off.

“He then appears to have got stuck, abandoned the van and ran off.”

She said he was eventually found hiding behind a storage container “dripping wet.”

Alexander Barbour, defending, said: “His size and appearance belies his level of maturity. He is naive in his thinking and vulnerable to exploitation.” He said he had been approached by others who had told him to take the van and had threatened to harm his mother. “They just told him to do it and he was easy prey.”

Mr Barbour said the teenager was a talented keyboard player who had played in large venues and was also good at football.