Police have praised a Huddersfield neighbourhood watch member who helped put career criminals behind bars.
The man grabbed his mobile phone to video a suspicious car parked up in Oakes – and his actions resulted in long jail terms for a burglary gang.
The man saw a dark Volkswagen on the roadside in Burniston Drive and went over to record some footage.
When he was spotted, the driver reversed towards him at speed, narrowly missing him and smashing into a telegraph pole.
The drama happened in July 2012 and later helped jail a gang responsible for a series of burglaries across Huddersfield where Asian gold jewellery was often the target.
Two of the raiders, Carl Armitage and David Hindle, admitted conspiracy to burgle.
Armitage, 24, of Institute Road, Eccleshill, Bradford, was jailed for four years and Hindle, 35, of Lordsfield Place, Tong Street, Bradford, was jailed for four and a half years.
Det Con Iain Campbell, of Bradford District Police, said: “The significant sentences given to Hindle and Armitage come as a result of a 15-month investigation which uncovered links between the pair and a series of burglaries committed across the Kirklees area.
“The determination of officers to put these two career burglars behind bars shows the priority we give to tackling incidents of burglary.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the neighbourhood watch member who saw Hindle and Armitage acting suspiciously on Burniston Drive and filmed them on his mobile phone.
“When the men realised they were being filmed they reversed their vehicle towards the witness narrowly missing him and colliding with a telegraph pole.
“The brave actions of the witness clearly prevented another victim of burglary and I would like to publicly acknowledge our gratitude for their help.”
Hindle was initially convicted of dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified and imprisoned for 16 weeks in July 2012.
The two men later admitted handling stolen goods as the car they were filmed driving had been stolen during a burglary in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
This week a judge at Leeds Crown Court handed out long sentences to Hindle, Armitage and three other men. The raiders often targeted Asian families for gold jewellery.
Stephen Drake, 33, of Bedale Drive, Warwick Estate, Knottingley, admitted two burglaries and one attempted burglary was jailed for four and a half years; and Joseph Devanney, 25, of Harrogate Road, Bradford, admitted attempted burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and perverting the course of justice after he crashed a car and persuaded his partner to report it stolen was jailed for two years five months and banned from driving for 12 months.
A fifth man, Scott Moore, 29 of Rook Lane, Bradford, admitted one burglary, handling a stolen car, common assault on a custody officer and possessing drugs was jailed for 30 months and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Raids happened in Bradley Road, Bradley, where Asian jewellery worth £10,000 was stolen and in Westfield Avenue and Crosland Road, Oakes; Tom Lane, Crosland Moor; and Cornmill Lane, Liversedge.
Sentencing the gang, Judge Tom Bayliss QC said: “It is perfectly clear to me that premises were targeted in this case for high value goods and that the individual burglaries were subjected to careful planning.
“Burglary can have a terrible effect on those who are the victims.”
