News Man tagged after building site raid
A man has been electronically tagged and made to carry out unpaid work in the community after stealing £1,500 of scaffolding from a building site.
Joseph Smith (21) stole the scaffolding from the Noble Homes building site on St John's Court, Goole.
The father-of-one appeared at Goole Magistrates' Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to theft on the evening of July 13 this year.
Carl Codd, prosecuting, said Mr Smith, who was with two other people, drove up to the site in a white Transit van and parked outside a storage compound.
He then proceeded to steal the scaffolding, knowing it could be sold as scrap metal for a lucrative sum.
As he did so, he was spotted by an off-duty special constable, who reported the incident to police.
Officers searched the area looking for Mr Smith and found his Transit van parked near Rawcliffe Road.
They found scaffolding in the van and arrested him.
Mr Smith was taken to Beverley Police Station for questioning and told police: "To tell the truth I knew it was illegal; I was going to weigh it in."
Mr Codd said: "The theft of scrap metal in general is of predominance in this area."
Philip Brown, defending, said Mr Smith - who was living in temporary accommodation at the time - stole the scaffolding on his way back home from visiting his girlfriend in Goole.
Mr Brown said it was a spur-of-the-moment decision as he was driving past the site, but added that Mr Smith knew the metal scaffolding could be sold for a high sum.
He said Mr Smith managed to get through the 6ft fence which surrounded the site by undoing two strands of rope on top of fence panels, which allowed the fence to swing open.
He then took the scaffolding, which Mr Brown said was worth between £1,000 and £1,500.
Mr Brown said the offence was committed "at a time of his life where things appear to have gone somewhat awry in terms of his personal circumstances".
In the weeks leading up to the theft Mr Smith had a fall-out with his mother, which resulted in her asking him to leave the caravan site where they were living.
Mr Brown said Mr Smith was going through a "very acrimonious divorce" and was now estranged from his two-year-old daughter as a result of the breakdown of his marriage.
He added that Mr Smith, of Carlton Caravan Site, Linwith Lane, had had no formal education and was unemployed.
Mr Smith, who has two previous convictions for theft, was ordered to serve a community order with 150 hours' unpaid work and was put on a three-month curfew banning him from leaving his home address between 8pm and 7am, seven days a week. As part of the curfew Mr Smith will have to wear an electronic tag so his movements can be monitored.
He was also banned from driving for 30 days for driving a vehicle that was used in a theft.
Magistrates also ordered him to pay £70 compensation to D. Noble Ltd as well as £43 prosecution costs.
Published on 31st July 2008 in News.
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