Posted by Linda Davidson
A man who towed a stolen caravan through Doncaster gave himself up when he realised he was being followed by the South Yorkshire Police helicopter, a court has been told.
According to the South Yorkshire Star, a 43-year-old man pleaded guilty to a charge of handling a stolen caravan, with the court accepting he was not responsible for the theft.
Tony Nettleton pulled over into a lay-by and waited for police to arrest him as soon as he realised he was being followed by the police helicopter.
Prosecutor Neil Coxon said that Mr Nettleton "took the pragmatic decision that he was unlikely to get away with the helicopter following him all the way".
The defendant told police he was offered £50 to tow the caravan from Adwick-on-Dearne to Balby where he expected to meet two men to receive the money.
The judge, Recorder Tom Bayliss, QC, said he had been "duped" into assisting in the theft and sentenced him to a 12 months' community order with a drug rehabilitation condition.
Derbyshire Police are currently fighting a battle with Google to have a Street View image released which could be a key factor in cracking a caravan theft case.
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