Promising footballer 'went off the rails'

Spanish speaking Eder Ruiz had been bullied at school because of his mixed nationality but discovered he was good at football and was hopeful of reaching the top until he sustained a fractured skull in accident, Graham Parkin representing him told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

He was not able to play sport for some time and then discovered because of his injury insurance costs were too high for clubs to consider him and he could only play at amateur level.

Already isolated by his background he found himself depressed and mixing with the criminal fraternity. "He accepts that was his choice and his alone."

Since being remanded over a number of offences he had realised how foolish he had been and wanted to make a clean start in the future using his Spanish in a more constructive job.

Ruiz, 19, of Queens Court, Station Road, Otley, was sent to a young offender institution for two years nine months and banned from driving for 18 months after he admitted aggravated vehicle taking, burglary and breaching a community order. He also asked for 21 other offences to be taken into consideration.

Judge Kerry Macgill said he was an intelligent young man who wanted the trappings of life funded by burglaries but was not prepared to work for them.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, said on October 5 last year Ruiz was spotted driving an Audi car in Guiseley, Leeds, taken by someone when keys were stolen in a burglary some days earlier.

He was pursued on the A65 towards Horsforth and in Low Lane reached 106mph before the vehicle reduced speed and was abandoned on a grass verge. Ruiz was pursued and caught as he ran off.

While on bail he was also linked to burglaries at Menston Station ticket office which was ransacked and a house in Adel through blood left at the scene.