He stole a Segway and made a slow getaway.
But soon afterwards Sean James Beard met with speedy justice.
Beard, 25, stole the Segway after breaking into a people carrier parked on Kingsway West, York. He made off with the two-wheeled, self-balancing scooter overnight between Sunday and Monday (January 28-29).
The item, valued at £200, was locked in a Vauxhall Zafira.
Following police enquiries at the scene and in the neighbourhood, Beard was identified as a suspect and arrested at 1.37pm on Monday.
He was later charged with theft from a motor vehicle and was remanded in custody to appear at York Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (January 30).
Beard, of Jute Road, York, pleaded guilty to the offence. He he was issued with a community order, including complying with an eight-week curfew monitored with an electronic tag.
He has also had his benefits reduced and ordered to pay £85 court costs and £85 surcharge to victim services.