A MAN took revenge on his former employers for getting rid of him by letting himself into their Studley premises and taking a pick-up truck – despite not being able to drive.
And, not knowing what he was doing, Sean Devlin crashed the car and then made off from the scene, a judge at Warwick Crown Court has heard.
The 29-year-old, of Martley Close, Redditch, pleaded guilty to burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, having no licence, having no insurance, and failing to stop after an accident.
He was jailed for ten months after Judge Peter Cooke, who also banned him from driving for two years and five months, said there had been ‘an element of revenge’ to the offences.
The court heard that Devlin had been employed at CSJ Windows in Studley until being dismissed earlier this year.
Prosecutor Olivia Appleby said that on the evening of April 28 Devlin turned up at the firm’s premises where he was able to get in and disable the alarm.
From an office he took the key to a Mitsubishi L200 pick-up which he then took from the yard outside and drove to Redditch where he was involved in a minor collision in Wells Close.
Homeowners alerted by the noise saw the pick-up ‘nose to nose’ with a blue Mercedes and Devlin standing by the vehicles.
Devlin, who the court heard had a number of previous convictions including five for burglary, five for robbery and five for vehicle interference, was later arrested.
Theresa Hunt, defending, said Devlin had lost his father two weeks earlier and had been out drinking.
