Drug addict stole road roller and led police on chase through Leeds suburb

Simon Pickard loaded the vehicle into a Ford Transit on cloned plates and tried to evade arrest, but was eventually boxed-in by three police cars who executed a TPAC (tactical pursuit and containment) manoeuvre to bring him to a halt.

The 46-year-old was also already banned from driving. Prosecutor Rhianydd Clement said Pickard was seen at around 3.30pm on January 22, reversing up the track of a farm off Selby Road in Garforth, near to The Crusader pub.

He was then seen to get out and load the £17,300 roller machine into the back of the van. The farmer had been using the machine to feed his sheep.

Having taken off, the plates on the van were switched as the police were called out. But they spotted the van on Bar Lane and turned to begin pursuing him along Aberford Road.

Reaching speed of 50mph, he was swerving dangerously across the road and took a roundabout in the wrong direction, the court heard. He turned onto Collier Lane near Aberford where the police were able to stop him safely. The roller was recovered, as were various registration plates, along with a crowbar and an angle grinder.

He then gave a no-comment interview at the police station. Pickard, of Grovehall Avenue, Beeston, later admitted theft of a vehicle, dangerous driving, driving while banned and forging registration plates.

He has 35 previous convictions for 62 offences including theft of a vehicle and a dwelling burglary. He was banned from drug driving in June last year, but was caught behind the wheel again earlier this year, prior to these latest offences.

Mitigating, Sam Roxborough said Pickard had been an “habitual user of heroin” which was behind his offending. He said at the time he was unable to get hold of the substitute prescription drug, methadone.

He said that other offenders were involved in the planned theft, but only Pickard was caught. With Pickard held on remand, Mr Roxborough said it had been “a blessing in disguise” because he was able to get back onto the methadone programme.

Pickard had been working as a welder but had been made homeless and lost his job so “fell back in with the wrong crowd”. He said: “Heroin has destroyed his life and a lot of his offending has been to feed that habit. He tells me he has had enough of this lifestyle.”

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The judge, Recorder Simon Jackson KC told Pickard: “You are an habitual offender with a dreadful record, but you have some positives.

“I’m satisfied there’s a glimmer of hope that you maybe able to change. I do not think you were the leader of this group but you were selected to participate and take the most risk, and you have ended up in custody.”

He gave him 16 months’ jail, suspended for 24 months. He also give him 20 rehabilitation days, a nine-month drug-rehabilitation requirement. He was also given an extension on his driving ban.