Two hapless burglars stole an “almost perfect” SUV car after breaking into an elderly man’s home in York – but then dumped it on a neighbour’s drive just around the corner and were duly arrested.
Stepbrothers Tyrone Savory, 31, and Philip Noble, 43, had been walking around the streets of Clifton “trying doors” and finally found one that was unlocked on Haughton Road, York Crow Court heard.
In what was described as a “classic Hanoi-type” burglary, one of them crept into the front of the house and apparently took the keys to the Suzuki SUV from a fruit bowl in the kitchen while the elderly victim was in bed, said prosecutor Rob Galley.
They then drove off in the high-value vehicle but then abandoned it on a driveway in neighbouring Tennyson Avenue, just “four or five” doors away.
Mr Galley said the burglary victim was in bed when he heard a noise outside just after 2am on March 16 which turned out to be the door of his recently purchased car, which was parked on the street, being opened.
“He looked out and could see a male sat in the driver’s side,” said Mr Galley.
The victim, whose elderly mother was sleeping in a downstairs bedroom, went downstairs and saw the car being driven away “at speed”.
“He realised he had left the front door unlocked and the keys must have been stolen from a fruit bowl in the kitchen,” added Mr Galley.
A neighbour’s ring-doorbell footage would later show Savory whispering to his sibling sidekick: “Phil, the door’s open.”
Shortly after the burglary, a neighbour in Tennyson Avenue saw the two men parking the vehicle on the drive and “putting gloves and hats on”. They then crept into a back alley behind his home, at which point he “barricaded himself in” and called police.
Video footage was handed in to police who instantly identified Savory and Noble who were both notorious criminals and burglars.
They were duly arrested and each charged with burglary and vehicle theft. They both admitted the offences and appeared for sentence today.
The court was given a rundown of the stepbrothers’ long criminal history which, in Noble’s case, comprised over 90 offences including multiple burglaries, a robbery and drug possession dating back nearly 30 years.
Savory’s rap sheet consisted of 40 previous offences including burglaries, wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. At the time of the new offences, he was subject to a community order for burglary and assaulting emergency workers.
Defence barrister Jordan Millican, for Noble, of Field View, York, claimed it was only Savory who broke into the house wearing disposable gloves and not his client, who nevertheless admitted presence and theft of the car.
Sean Smith, for Savory, said the stolen car was driven an incredibly short distance which was no more than “four or five houses from where it was stolen”.
He said that Savory had been drinking on the night in question and was wearing an alcohol tag.
The burglary victim described his beloved vehicle as an “almost perfect Suzuki SUV car”.
Judge Simon Hickey said the incident must have been “very distressing” for the victim and admonished the two career criminals for their “unenviable” records.
Savory, also of Field View, was jailed for 22 months and Noble received an 18-month prison sentence.