Wrexham,North Wales - Man acted as lookout in bike theft, court hears

Published date: 18 July 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
Read more articles by Staff reporterEmail reporter

A MAN implicated in a bike theft was only acting as a lookout, a court has heard.

Wrexham Magistrates Court was told Richard William Evans, 27, of Rosewood Avenue, Caia Park, was a lookout for a co-accused during a burglary of a garage in which a mountain bike worth £721 was stolen.

Evans pleaded guilty to a burglary other than a dwelling with intent to steal. 

Prosecutor Alun Humphreys said that at about 4.30am on May 30 the “daughter of the house” returned home with a friend and both went into the kitchen.

As they looked out into the garden at the rear of the house, the girls saw two men walking across the garden pushing a white mountain bike which had been taken from inside the garage.

They made their way outside but by the time they got there, the two men had left.

Mr Humphreys said the door to the garage was open and one of the three bikes usually in there was missing The girl notified her dad

The father and the two girls then went out in the car looking for the two men but the search proved mostly fruitless.

• Follow and like the Leader Live Facebook page by clicking here

However as they reached the Johnstown area the girls saw the two men, one of whom was Evans, who both fled from the scene.

The court told the police were called and numerous officers were then involved in a search for the men. Evans and his co-accused were eventually found.

In interview, Evans said he was a lookout for the co-accused and a third man who was never identified. He said he had been drinking at a party in Johnstown and as they were walking home, the unknown third man said he wanted to steal a bike and went looking in various properties.

He added he had only run away because his friend did the same when they were confronted by the victim.

Catherine Jagger, defending, said: “Perhaps he did not know the criminality of being a lookout, despite knowing that he was involved.

“There was no deal that he would get anything for being the lookout. It was simply the fact that it seemed like a good idea to help this guy out, but it clearly was not a good idea as he now has burglary on his record.”

Nicholas Colbourne, chairman of the magistrates bench, issued Evans with a 12- month community order to include 100 hours of unpaid work.

He was also told to pay compensation to the victim of £365 as well as £85 costs and an £85 surcharge.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/164403/wrexham-man-acted-as-lookout-in-bike-theft-court-hears.aspx