Prolific Wolverhampton car key raider jailed for four years

One of the Black Country's most prolific car key burglars was today starting a four-year jail sentence after spurning a judge's offer of help.

David McTaggart brought terror as he stole £265,000 worth of luxury vehicles after breaking into homes to find the keys.

The 23-year-old, formerly of Greenwood Road in Oxley, targeted properties in the Tettenhall, Aldersley and Portobello areas of Wolverhampton, Kingswinford, Dudley and Staffordshire.

Despite admitting four burglaries and asking for 14 other crimes to be taken into consideration, the 23-year-old was given a community order in May to allow him to receive specialist treatment after displaying early signs of paranoid schizophrenia.

But within weeks McTaggart, who had a string of previous convictions, went on the run from a hostel in Birmingham where he had been ordered to live. He was arrested in Pendeford on July 23.

Prosecutor Mr Patrick Darby told Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday: "He has been convicted of a string of burglaries committed at night in homes that were occupied. The motive was to steal car keys and take valuable cars."

Among the cars stolen were a £43,500 Mercedes C320, a £24,000 Subaru Impreza and a £30,500 Audi TT.

McTaggart was originally linked to the string of offences by a footprint at the scene of one of the break-ins that matched his trainers.

Police then checked his mobile phone and found pictures of him standing beside the Mercedes C320 and Subaru Impreza stolen in other burglaries.

Jailing him, Judge Michael Challinor said: "I warned you what would happen if you did not take advantage of treatment for your medical disorder.

"You are not simply psychotic - you have proved yourself to be a determined criminal who has a psychotic illness with which you do not want to be helped.

"You need locking away because when you are at liberty, the homes of people are vulnerable."

By John Scott