Greggs burglar who took police on 104mph pursuit on major road jailed

Steve Garner, 46, and Aaron Humpage, 30, fled the scene at Greggs, in Market Street, Lichfield, in a BMW that was stolen from an address in Wolverhampton.

The pair, from Bilston, were jailed on Thursday, after previously each pleading guilty to an offence of burglary with intent to steal from the premises at about 1.10am on September 1.

Father-of six Garner, who was caught at the wheel of the car, which had false licence plates, also pleaded guilty to an offence of dangerous driving after it was pursued along the A461 to Walsall where the police used stingers to stop it off Cartbridge Lane South, near Rushall.

Seamran Sidhu, prosecuting barrister, told Stafford Crown Court that the defendants fled Greggs empty-handed after an untidy search during which they were captured on film dismantling furnishings, leaving money bags strewn across the floor.

Miss Sidhu said the incident was reported to the police, resulting in the car being spotted on the A461 Walsall Road at about 2.20am the same day. She said it was turned round in the direction of Muckley Corner, then Barracks Lane, near Stonnall, where it reached 70mph in a 40mph zone.

It was then driven through several red lights, including on Chester Road, in Shire Oak, and accelerated to speeds of up to 90mph at the Brownhills Road junction, in Walsall Wood, then at Daw End Lane, in Rushall, it hit 104mph in a 30mph zone.

Miss Sidhu said: "The driver was Garner, who tried to flee on foot, but ran into the door of the police car. The front seat passenger got away on foot. The rear seat passenger was Humpage.

"The officers searched the car and recovered a pick axe, a crowbar and rubber gloves. The BMW had been reported stolen in Wolverhampton on August 28."

Garner, of Cherrywood Green, Bilston, had 13 previous convictions from 47 offences, including burglary in 1997.

Humpage, aged 30, of Temple Street, Bilston, had 56 convictions from 114 offences, including commercial burglary dating to 2008. The court also heard that he had been released from prison for separate matters in April and had been smoking crack cocaine on the day of the latest crime.

Darron Whitehead, mitigating for Garner, said the defendant had not committed any offences for a 20-year period until the latest offence.

"He accepts poor judgement," Mr Whitehead added.

For burglary both men were jailed for nine months. For dangerous driving Garner was jailed for five months to be served consecutively. He was also banned from the road for a total of 19 months after which he will be subject to an extended driving test.

Judge John Edwards told Garner: "You have let down your family and those children who will not see you this Christmas. I'm afraid you only have yourself to blame."