AN "intelligent" man was tricked into keeping a stolen Mercedes at his house for months on end, a court heard.
Newcastle Crown Court was told an associate of Michael Wilson, 27, had asked him to keep a car on his drive in Norham Avenue, South Shields.
But no one came to pick up the car for four months, and Wilson was charged with possession of criminal pro
perty in March this year.
Glazing worker Wilson was paid just £100 to keep the car, and pleaded guilty to the offence early in proceedings.
Judge Brian Forster said: "You have pleaded guilty to the very serious offence of possessing criminal property.
"On November 6, 2006 a Mercedes car was stolen. The ex-registered vehicle was later recovered in your possession earlier this year.
"You expected the car to remain on your driveway for a short period of time, but it ended up being there for around three or four months.
"You never drove the car, and it reached the stage where you became suspicious that the car was stolen."
"You are not a dishonest person, you do not have any convictions for such offences.
"You are intelligent, with several GCSE passes, and you are someone who
works for a living."
He was given a community order for 12 months, and a curfew order.
The full article contains 226 words and appears in Shields Gazette newspaper.
