A violent burglar who stole thousands of pounds’ worth of goods during a series of quick-fire raids across York has been jailed for seven years.
Joshua Bruce, 22, targeted four homes in Copmanthorpe and Dringhouses, stealing high-value items including a motorbike, gardening equipment and power tools, York Crown Court heard.
Bruce, who was operating with at least one other man, broke into homes and outbuildings, including a house near Dringhouses where he stole a BMW motorbike worth £1,500, a hedge trimmer, a £450 tandem bike, a foot pump, bike lock and gardening gloves.
The lightning raids occurred on 3 August and the early hours of 4 August last year after Bruce and his cohorts travelled to York by car from Leeds.
Prosecutor Jemma Stephenson said a neighbour was woken by a noise outside his home and saw two men with a tandem bike they had stolen from the home near Dringhouses.
Shortly afterwards, they stole items including hedge trimmers and a screwdriver from a shed and garage in Merchant Way, Copmanthorpe.
They then broke into the garage of a neighbouring property belonging to an elderly woman who lived alone.
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The woman’s grandson, who worked as a tree surgeon, stored his gardening equipment in the garage. His £400 leaf blower, chain saw, petrol can and hedge cutter and strimmers worth £1,100 were all stolen.
Later that morning the grandson spotted Bruce and his sidekick riding the stolen tandem bike and carrying his hedge cutter and climbing saw.
“He confronted them, and they claimed they had just bought the items from the back of a Transit van,” said Ms Stephenson.
“When he tried to take photos of them, they threatened to smash his face in.”
Robbery at knifepoint
Bruce and his cohort also broke into a home in Pike Hills Mount, Copmanthorpe, and stole a £900 hot tap and gas-burner hob worth £499 meant for a kitchen refurbishment.
The court heard he also robbed a taxi driver at knifepoint outside his home in West Yorkshire and drove off in his sister’s Audi. The following day, they threatened another driver with a claw hammer in Knottingley and drove off, leading to a 140mph motorway police chase which ultimately ended in their arrest.
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The court heard he had 33 previous convictions for 71 offences including burglary, theft, robbery, drugs possession and handling stolen goods.
Michael Walsh, mitigating, said Bruce had been recalled to prison following his arrest and had spent a good deal of his young life behind bars.
Judge Simon Hickey said Bruce’s dreadful offences were aggravated by his “shocking” record and that he had “terrified” some of his victims.
Bruce was jailed for seven years and banned from driving for five-and-a-half years. One of his cohorts is being dealt with at the youth courts.