Two men who took part in the planned theft of a van were then involved in a long, dangerous pursuit, trying to evade police, on the A1 and A1(M), a court heard.

Anthony Craggs and John Lamb were among three men who carried out the targeted theft of the Ford Transit from the car park outside the Durham business premises of the company which owned the vehicle.

Durham Crown Court heard that it was spotted being driven south on the A1(M) in South Yorkshire, bearing false registration plates, the following day, sparking the lengthy hazardous chase before they were detained.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said examination of CCTV covering the car park outside Beehive Workshops, on the Dragonville Industrial Estate, Durham, showed Craggs, Lamb and an accomplice taking the Transit van on the afternoon of Wednesday August 9, 2021.

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They arrived in another vehicle, also carrying false plates, before driving away in the Transit, even though the keys were still in the office of the company which owned the vehicle.

Mr Cleasby said at 3.30pm the following afternoon, police spotted the stolen van heading south on the A1(M) in South Yorkshire.

Craggs was said to be the driver, with Lamb in the passenger seat.

Read more: Van driven erratically in police chase from A1(M) near Darlington

Police waited for them near the area of Bramham junction, but Craggs realised he was also being followed and tried to evade police for five minutes, before turning off at another junction, going around the roundabout at the bottom, before re-joining the A1 and driving along the hard shoulder at 120-miles per hour.

He made a snap decision to turn off at the next junction and almost caused a collision in doing so, said Mr Cleasby.

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The van was pursued to Garforth, during which it was driven erratically, overtaking dangerously, crossing solid white lines and driving over a roundabout at 60mph.

But the pursuit ended as Craggs tried to force his way past other vehicles at a narrow bridge over a railway, shunting and damaging several cars, one of which was left a write-off.

The Transit was lifted up into the air, on only two wheels, after one failed attempt to pass a vehicle and both occupants got out and tried to flee on foot.

Craggs was chased and caught, while Lamb was found hiding in a nearby garage and both were taken into custody.

The Transit was displaying false plates, but the original ones, bearing Craggs’ fingerprints, were found inside the stolen vehicle.

Mr Cleasby said a lap-top computer and a dummy key, used to steal the van, were also found.

Both defendants were interviewed and made no comment.

But 45-year-old Craggs, of Pontop Square, Sunderland, admitted theft, going equipped for theft and dangerous driving when the case was heard before magistrates.

Having denied theft and going equipped at a plea hearing in May, 43-year-old Lamb, formerly from the North East, but now of Matlock in Derbyshire, changed his pleas to guilty on September 6, a month before his scheduled trial.

The court heard both have lengthy criminal records, including offences of dishonesty and motoring matters, while Lamb is now serving a 52-month prison sentence for drug offences, imposed in July.

Mr Callan said Lamb has a stable relationship with a partner in Derbyshire, where he has been working as a bin man in recent years, prior to his prison sentence in July.

Katie Spence, for Craggs, said he has settled down and led a law-abiding life in the two years since the offence.

She said he has built up a bistro and associated businesses since the offence, and, “despite his unattractive record”, was making, “real progress” in life.

Recorder Tahir Khan KC said it was, “not just random criminality”, for which they were to be sentenced.

“In my judgement it was planned and thought-out offending with a view to making financial gain.”

He jailed both for 12-months for the Transit theft and going equipped charges but added a further 16 months onto Craggs’ sentence for the dangerous driving, which he said was, “very much at the top end of the scale”.

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Craggs was also banned from driving for a total of 26 months and must sit an extended re-test if he is ever to drive lawfully once the period of disqualification ends.

The Recorder also said Lamb’s 12 months prison term will be consecutive to the 52-month sentence which he is now serving, for which he has an earliest release date of September 2025.

Therefore, the 12-months imposed by Recorder Khan will only start after the expiry of the other sentence.