Campervan owners around the North East were left devastated when thieves stole “pride and joy” vehicles worth £142,000.
Jackson Bainbridge stole five motorhomes from addresses in Northumberland, Gateshead and County Durham and accomplice Steven Stewart cut them up and converted them to try to disguise them to sell them on undetected.
Newcastle Crown Court heard motorhomes and campervans were stolen from five locations around the North East in June and July 2020. One, worth £23,500, was taken from outside a home in Burnopfield, County Durham, between June 24 and 25. The victim said: “The theft came as a shock and resulted in a claim to the insurance company and raised premiums and caused inconvenience.”
(Image: Northumbria Police)
On June 27, a motorhome worth £25,000 was stolen from a home in Bedlington, Northumberland. CCTV recorded two men pushing it away and jumping into the cab. The victim launched a social media campaign to try to trace it and was told it was parked in a cul-de-sac in Bournmoor, County Durham. He informed the police but by the time they got there it had gone and remained unrecovered.
The owner said: “The theft of my campervan has really upset me. It had been revamped by me for my family and it was fully equipped and ready to go at any time when we wanted to go and use it.
“I spent hours trying to find it and I’m frustrated with the police because it was located in the Durham area and the witness phoned the police.”
(Image: Northumbria Police)
On July 2, a campervan worth £28,000 was stolen from outside a house in Rowlands Gill, in Gateshead. The owner was alerted by a tracker device and police found it in Sunderland.
A motorhome worth £25,000 was stolen in Chester-le-Street on July 6. It was disguised by being cut with another vehicle and resold to an unsuspected buyer for £18,000.
The owner said: “The theft of my motorhome upset my wife and me so much we moved house. We were frightened to buy another one and leave it parked where we lived.
“It left us with an empty feeling, not being there on the driveway. We bought it brand new in 2008 and made various adaptions and it was unique to us. It’s upsetting to hear they chopped it in order to disguise it and scam an innocent member of the public.”
The man who bought it said he was left living in fear of repercussions as the seller knew where he lived. He added “We bought it for £18,000 and that decision didn’t come easy.
“We were making a lifestyle choice to use the van for all our holidays for the next number of years. That was taken away from us, other than the one night we were able to stay in it.”
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On the night of July 21, a campervan worth £40,000 was stolen in Barnard Castle, County Durham. The victim said: “It was immaculate and I added £5,000 of extras. The theft came as a complete shock.
“This was our pride and joy. I’m absolutely devastated, I worked hard for this.
“I’m looking at retirement shortly and this was my retirement. Our intention was for European travel, which is why we custom-fitted the vehicle.”
Bainbridge, 23, of School Road, Houghton-le-Spring, who has 18 previous convictions and Stewart, 36, of Hartside Road, Sunderland, who has five previous convictions, pleaded guilty to five counts of theft of a motor vehicle and Gary Richardson, 37, of Tanfield Road, Thorney Close, Sunderland, who has no previous convictions, admitted handling one of the stolen vehicles.
Bainbridge also admitted separate charges of burglary, attempted burglary and vehicle interference at two farms in Chester-le-Street in January this year, while on bail.
Bainbridge was jailed for 38 months, Stewart got 19 months suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work and Richardson got six months suspended for 18 months.
Helen Towers, for Bainbridge, said he was only 18 at the time of the campervan offences and is remorseful. She said he was “sofa-surfing” at the time and “fell in with the wrong crowd” and felt pressure to get money any way he could for housing. She said he has since become a father and added: “This is a mistake he is going to regret for the rest of his life.”
Shada Mellor, for Stewart, said he is now running a car spray-painting business and has two young daughters. Jane Foley, for Richardson, said he is working and his involvement in the criminal justice system has caused him anxiety.
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/campervan-owners-around-north-east-31200041
