Burglars who targeted family home while children slept jailed after high-speed police chase through York

TWO burglars who targeted a family home while children were asleep upstairs and then led police on a high-speed chase across York have been jailed.
Nathan Adams was sentenced to five years and nine monthsin prison and give a four-year driving ban following release.Nathan Adams was sentenced to five years and nine monthsin prison and give a four-year driving ban following release.
Nathan Adams was sentenced to five years and nine monthsin prison and give a four-year driving ban following release.

Nathan Terrance Adams, 27, and Jordan Lawrence Ellerby, 24, broke into a house in the Thanet Road area of Acomb and stole a BMW 3 Series and Audi TT parked outside in the early hours of December 2, last year.

Shortly after the burglary, the Audi was seen by police officers on the A1237 near Poppleton.

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The car failed to stop, leading police on a high-speed pursuit, reaching speeds of over 100mph across the city. The car was seen driving on the wrong side of the road, forcing other drivers to move out the way quickly to avoid a crash.

The crash scene.The crash scene.
The crash scene.

The police chase ended in Birch Park after the Audi crashed into a parked car and the driver and the passengers fled the scene.

All three occupants, including Adams and Ellerby, were detained by officers a short distance away and arrested. They were charged with aggravated vehicle taking and appeared at York Crown Court.

Adams admitted his part in the vehicle theft in addition to another burglary in the Beckfield Lane area, whilst on bail, where he stole the car keys for a Volkswagen Golf GTI parked outside.

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The court heard how he got the "shock of his life" when he walked into the kitchen in the house and came across the homeowner "who is built like The Rock" and who gave chase dressed in just his underwear.

Jordan Ellerby, who is already serving a 38-month sentence for a commercial burglary, committed while on bail for the vehicle theft,was sentenced to six months to be served consecutively.Jordan Ellerby, who is already serving a 38-month sentence for a commercial burglary, committed while on bail for the vehicle theft,was sentenced to six months to be served consecutively.
Jordan Ellerby, who is already serving a 38-month sentence for a commercial burglary, committed while on bail for the vehicle theft,was sentenced to six months to be served consecutively.

Adams also admitted a string of other offences and was picked out an identification parade by eye witnesses.

Adams, of Knotto Bottom Way, Northallerton, formally of York, was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison and give a four-year driving ban following release.

Ellerby, of Healey Grove, York, who is already serving a 38-month sentence for a commercial burglary, committed while on bail for the vehicle theft, pleaded guilty and also appeared at York Crown Court on Tuesday where he was sentenced to six months to be served consecutively.

The third arrested man was found not guilty after a trial.

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Traffic Constable Mark Patterson of North Yorkshire Police’s Road Policing Group, who was involved in the pursuit of the Audi stolen from Acomb said: “No-one was hurt in this case but the trauma of knowing someone has been in your house whilst your children are asleep upstairs can’t be underestimated – the impact of burglary is devastating and long lasting for victims.

“The sentence passed reflects the seriousness of their crimes, showing absolutely no regard to the victims whose car they had stolen and the risk Adams placed other road users in, by driving so irresponsibly and dangerously that night to evade police.

“I hope that this outcome will provide some comfort to their victims in the knowledge that they are now behind bars for a long period of time.”