One of the ringleaders of a £300,000 car theft gang will serve an extra month behind bars after a bid to clear his name was branded ‘hopeless’ by top judges.

Career criminal Ernest Malcolm Moate was one of eight men jailed for their roles in the plot.

It involved the theft of high-value cars during test drives at a number of locations in Yorkshire including Huddersfield.

The 62-year-old, of Mona Street, Barnsley, was locked up for five-and-a-half years at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of conspiracy to steal.

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He challenged his conviction and his sentence at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, with his lawyers arguing his conviction was ‘unsafe’ and his jail term was ‘far too long’.

But both appeals were rejected as being ‘totally unjustified’ by three of the country’s most senior judges.

They ordered Moate to serve an extra four weeks in prison as punishment for wasting the court’s time.

The gang stole high-value cars after arranging test drives around Yorkshire.

One of the Land Rovers targeted by the car theft gang
One of the Land Rovers targeted by the car theft gang

Vehicles worth nearly £300,000 were stolen during the operation which targeted both dealers and private sellers ranging from Huddersfield to Holmfirth and from York to Doncaster.

Many of the 23 cars taken were quickly stripped down and only three were recovered.

The thieves would arrange for test drives in secluded areas and then make off in them after using a variety of methods to distract salesman or the owners.

They were caught after a big police probe called Operation Trimgill, led by detectives from Kirklees.

Cars stolen included a Land Rover worth nearly £30,000 and a £15,000 Audi.