South Shields man jailed for flipping a stolen car after crashing into two other vehicles

Ryhan Yakub, 21, pinched the Renault Clio after finding its key on the ground in or around Hedley Close, central South Shields, a court heard.

Yakub, enjoying freedom from prison on licence, lost control and overturned it in adjoining Mile End Road on Sunday, October 15.

It struck a parked Nissan Qashqai and a Seat Leon and Yakub, of Hyde Street, South Shields, suffered minor head and arm injuries – and fled.

But hours later he handed himself in to police and confessed to his crime, prosecutor Glenda Beck said.

He is starting 18 weeks behind bars after pleading guilty to a string of motoring offences at the borough’s magistrates’ court.

Mrs Beck said the owner of the Renault found her car key missing after being woken by police at 3am and informed of the accident.

She added: “At 6.10am, officers were called to the front desk at South Shields police station because the defendant was on the phone outside.

“He wanted to hand himself in for flipping a car. He said he had been intoxicated, and he didn’t know what had happened.

“He was cautioned and arrested and gave a statement that he had consumed alcohol.

“Breath test readings came back at 34mcg and 35mcg of alcohol, which are under the limit.

“He then refused a request to provide a sample of blood. He also said he had taken diazepam.

“He said he had found the key fob in the road and had been in the car alone when he flipped it.

“He confirmed he didn’t know the owner. He said his intention was to drive it around and return it to the place he had taken it.

“He had run away from the vehicle but had then returned because he had left his mobile inside.”

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Yakub pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without consent, driving while banned and failing to provide a sample for analysis.

He also admitted failing to stop after an accident and driving without insurance.

It was said he was jailed for 12 weeks on August 1 for offences of danger driving, taking without consent and drug driving, and freed on licence on September 12.

David Forrester, defending, said: “I understand the offences and the situation he has placed himself in.

“The one thing that he gets credit for is that he did go to the police station, and he did pick up the phone outside at 6am and admit what he had done.”

Yakub was jailed for 18 weeks each for taking without consent and driving while banned, and to eight weeks for failing to provide a sample, to run concurrently.

He was banned from driving for 42 months, with no separate penalty for the remaining two charges.

Magistrates ordered him to pay compensation to the owners of the cars he struck of £250 and £200, with a £154 victim surcharge.