Michael Stewart, a repeat offender, was apprehended driving a stolen vehicle shortly after it was stolen from a home in Darlington.
The car had disappeared hours earlier following a burglary at a house on Marlborough Drive at 4:30 AM. A person wearing a balaclava was recorded by security cameras. The thief stole the car keys, and the homeowner later woke up and noticed the theft.
Stewart was scheduled for a trial on Friday, but this changed at the last minute. He admitted to two charges at Teesside Crown Court: handling stolen goods and driving while banned.
Police arrested Stewart on October 25th, sending him back to prison for breaking his release terms. His release is set for 2026. The police found the car and returned it to the owner.
The court heard about Stewart’s past crimes. In 2004, he handled stolen goods, shoplifted, and damaged property. In 2007, he attempted a burglary, resulting in community service. In 2009, he robbed someone and served 15 months in prison.
Between 2010 and 2013, he committed more crimes including burglary, theft, and repeated shoplifting. He also drove without a license or insurance. In 2015 and 2016, he received a suspended sentence related to burglary and theft.
In 2016, he was sentenced to 38 weeks in prison for stolen goods. In 2020, he received 22 months in prison and a nearly four-year driving ban for refusing a drug test, driving without a license, and committing burglary. In 2023, he was sentenced to 29 months for taking a car without permission, burglary, theft, and driving unlicensed and without insurance.
His lawyer argued that drugs fueled his crimes, as he had used them since his teens. After his 2023 release, he stayed in a hostel in Leeds briefly before being asked to leave, leading him to move back to Darlington.
He registered as homeless, and a hostel in Darlington found him a bed but required upfront payment. When his payment was delayed, he again became homeless and lacked support.
The judge addressed Stewart directly, noting that he failed to stop for the police and prevented them from conducting a drug test, making it unclear if he was impaired. He drove a stolen car soon after its theft, likely knowing the burglars, and the judge described him as a career criminal.
Stewart, who was in Holme House prison, was sentenced to 16 months in jail. The judge also banned him from driving for one year.