TWO MEN who travelled to Suffolk to steal from isolated rural properties have each been locked up for 15 months.

Jane Hunt

TWO MEN who travelled to Suffolk to steal from isolated rural properties have each been locked up for 15 months.

During two visits to the west of the county in December and January Hethan (correct) Hall and Shane Davis stole a �23,000 Land Rover Discovery, a �10,000 Range Rover and a dog worth �500, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Jailing 24-year-old Davis for 15 months and ordering 19-year-old Hall to be detained at a young offenders' institution for 15 months, Judge Anthony Bate commended the 17-year-old daughter of the owner of the Discovery and her driving instructor who tried to chase after the men.

Judge Bate awarded the 17-year-old girl a �150 Sheriff's award and made a �100 award to driving instructor Paul Petit.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, told the court that Davis and Hall, who live in the east Midlands, had gone to Wash Lane in Wickhambrook on December 1 and had stolen a �23,000 Land Rover Discovery.

As the men drove off the owner's daughter had pulled up outside her home with her driving instructor and realising what was happening the driving instructor had swapped seats with his pupil and they had attempted to follow the Discovery.

However, they had lost the Discovery because the road ahead was flooded, said Mr Crimp.

On January 19 the men had returned to Suffolk and on this occasion they stole a �500 dog called “Streak” from a kennel at The Lodge, Dalham, before driving off in a �10,000 Range Rover from a house in Depden.

Mr Crimp said Andrew Read had been at his home in Depden when he heard his Range Rover being started.

He ran outside and tried to stop the vehicle being driven off by opening the driver's door. At that stage a Ford Mondeo which had been used by Davis and Hall had pulled up alongside him trapping him between the Range Rover and the Mondeo.

Shortly afterwards police officers had spotted the Mondeo near Red Lodge and Davis and Hall were arrested after a chase.

The court heard that the men had admitted two offences of theft and aggravated vehicle taking.

Richard Potts for the defendants said the vehicles and the dog had all been recovered.