The owner of a Suffolk logistics company who stole parts from five E type Jaguars he was meant to be delivering to their new owners and sold them on eBay has been jailed for 12 months.

Peter Barker collected the five vehicles, which had been imported from the USA, from Felixstowe and took them to his home in Capel St Mary where he removed parts including carburettors, manifolds, lights and dashboard panels, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He had then sold the parts,which were worth £7,000, on eBay said Catherine Bradshaw, prosecuting. She said £2,000 worth of the stolen items had been recovered.

Barker, 59, of Windmill Hill, Capel St Mary, denied stealing a number of Jaguar car parts belonging to Stuart Carter in May last year and was found guilty after a trial last month.

He was jailed for 12 months by Recorder Neil Garnham who described the thefts as a breach of trust. “You were trusted as a professional logistics firm to move the vehicles,” said the judge.

Also before the court was Luke Conroy, 29, of Wales, who admitted stealing motor car parts belonging to Stuart Carter. He was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work in the community and to pay £2,000 compensation and £200 costs.

Sentencing him Mr Garnham said Conroy had been helping Barker in his business and although he had removed some parts of the cars he had told Barker he didn’t approve of what he was doing and had reported the thefts to the police.

Daniel Taylor for Barker said that although his client continued to deny responsibility for the offences he now accepted the jury’s verdict.

He said Barker was the breadwinner for his family and because of his financial situation he had sold a vehicle he owned and got a new one on finance.