After stealing a car a teenager pretended to be asleep to evade police

Last month, on 12 October 2021, police were patrolling the Levenshulme area when they saw a red Kia Sportage which they believed to stolen, and covertly began to follow the car before engaging in a pursuit.

 

Throughout the pursuit, the teenager - who was driving the Kia - was involved in a number of minor collisions with other cars before mounting a central reservation on Stockport Road which caused damage to the cars tyres.

 

He continued trying to escape from police and drove the wrong way down the road with two deflated tyres, putting innocent members of the public at extreme risk. He then abandoned the car on Kingsway and ran off on foot.

 

Police used a dog to track the teenager's scent, which led them to a back garden of an address, where they found abandoned items including a balaclava and gloves covered with his scent. The scent stopped in the garden which led police to believe that the teenager must be inside the house.

 

Upon entering the house, police found him upstairs pretending to be asleep. They saw through the act and immediately arrested him.

 

After further investigation, police discovered that the teenager had stolen the car after entering a property, taking the keys and driving away in the Kia Sportage.

 

Yesterday (Monday 22 November 2021), a 16-year-old from Stockport, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received a 12 month Youth Rehabilitation Order, a 12 month driving disqualification and a £85 fine at Manchester Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, no licence and no insurance.

 

PC Lewis, of GMP's City of Manchester division, said: "The seriousness of this behaviour should not be underestimated. This 16-year-old showed an absolute disregard for the safety of others and innocent members of the public could very easily have been seriously injured or worse.

 

"He thought he could escape from police, but the excellent work of our tactical vehicle intercept unit and the dog handlers, meant we were able to track him down and find him.

 

"I hope this sentencing today portrays a very clear message that this type of criminal activity is not something which we will take lightly, and ensure that anyone who puts others at risk faces the consequences for their actions."