Thief admits to 179 offences

Career criminal to be sent back to prison

A career criminal will spend another stretch behind bars after admitting 179 more offences.

Paul Priestley, who has previously been described as a “one man crimewave,” will be sentenced at crown court after it was decided the maximum six month sentence a magistrate court can impose was insufficient for his offences.

Priestley, who has been offending for the past two decades, was up in court yet again having pleaded guilty to two thefts, attempted theft from a motor vehicle, vehicle interference, failing to comply with the requirements of a post-custodial sentence and the breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

The 39-year-old from Bringhurst, Orton Goldhay, also asked for 179 more offences to be taken into consideration (TICs).

One of the thefts Priestley pleaded guilty to was on January 13 this year when he stole gilets and memory sticks worth £230 from a vehicle at around 4am.

Moreover, on October 28 last year he was captured searching a van before leaving empty-handed. His identity was given away after he dropped his wallet which was spotted on CCTV.

At a previous hearing Priestley said that if he did not cooperate with the police it was “just going to cost the taxpayers money” by delaying the process.

Cambridgeshire police had made the prolific offender one of their most wanted men this winter following a string of offences in the Ortons and Hamptons areas of the city.

Speaking at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court last Friday afternoon, Deputy District Judge Rastogi said the court’s sentencing powers were insufficient, and she committed Priestley to sentence at Peterborough Crown Court with a date yet to be fixed.

But she was able to give Priestley a 14 day sentence for failing to comply with the post-custodial sentence.

At a previous hearing the breach was said to be related to missing appointments after being released from prison following a sentencing for motor vehicles.

Priestley, who appeared via video link for last Friday’s hearing, will remain remanded in custody until appearing at Peterborough Crown Court.

Paul Priestley