Man stole van 'to get wallet back'

8:50am Wednesday 17th September 2008

A man caught breaking into a van claimed he was going to use it to catch up with another vehicle to get his wallet back.

Lee Wagstaff, 32, pleaded guilty to attempted theft of a motor vehicle, at Watford Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard that Wagstaff was heard by the owner of a Citroen works van, Paul Jarrad, breaking into the vehicle.

Mr Jarrad was working at the new golf course under construction in London Road, Rickmansworth on the morning of Friday, August 8, when he heard a loud bang around 9am.

Mr Jarrad ran back to the Network Vehicles van and saw Wagstaff getting out. He saw that one of the side windows had been smashed and detained Wagstaff until police arrived.

Wagstaff, formerly of Pollards, Maple Cross, but now living in London Road, Rickmansworth, told police in interview he was on the “verge of being an alcoholic”.

He explained that earlier that morning he had been asked to go home after turning up to work on the council’s recycling van having drunk six litres of cider the night before.

He said he had left his wallet in the work vehicle and so broke into Mr Jarrad’s van in order to use it to catch the work vehicle and get his wallet back.

The duty solicitor representing Wagstaff said he was “obviously not thinking” as he does not even have a driving licence.

Wagstaff has nothing of a previous nature on his record and the defence asked magistrates to adjourn for reports to look at his alcohol problem.

The chairman of the bench Susan Edelnam ordered reports for sentencing on Tuesday, October 7.

Wagstaff was told to expect a “medium” community order as punishment and to address his drinking. He was released on unconditional bail.