Sheffield man jailed for raiding home and embarking on dangerous police chase in stolen vehicle

Sheffield Crown Court was told how Scott Plummer crept into his victim's ground-floor flat in the early hours of September 3 through a window that had been left open.

Prosecuting, Abigail Langford, said that Plummer, of no fixed abode, stole items including two Dell laptops and the keys to the occupant's Skoda motor vehicle.

Plummer drove the stolen motor vehicle away from the property, and after it had been registered as stolen officers spotted him driving it in the Shirecliffe Road area of the city.

They began pursuing the vehicle, at which point Plummer started accelerating in a bid to evade police.

Ms Langford described how during the chase Plummer reached speeds of up to 60mph an hour in a 30 zone, crashed into barriers, drove the wrong way down two streets - one of which was a one-way street - and drove down a set of steps.

The chase only came to an end when Plummer, aged 38, lost control of the vehicle. He then fled the scene, but a methadone bottle with his prescription on it found in the stolen vehicle led officers to him.

He was then arrested and interviewed by officers.

Ms Langford said: "The defendant admitted that in his view the driving was very dangerous."

Plummer admitted to one count of dangerous driving, one count of burglary, one count of theft and one count of driving while disqualified at an earlier hearing.

Defending, Francis Edusei told the court that Plummer's life had been plagued by drug addiction, and that after being released from prison in July of this year he had fallen into taking class A drugs again.

He said: "His drug addiction is long-term and has caused him no end of pain."

Recorder Patrick Palmer sentenced Plummer to two years, eight months in prison for the offences, and banned him from driving for a total of 26 months.

As Plummer received his sentence he told the court: "Can I extend my apologies to the victims. It's drugs. I'm just glad I didn't hurt anybody."