A man stole a coat from a car – then was caught by the owner wearing it as he walked down the street.

The victim was in a taxi driving past when he noticed Steven Arrand wearing his beige hooded winter coat.

He followed the 41-year-old to an alleyway in Longroyd Bridge where he had stashed goods he'd stolen from the complainant's car inside an orange Sainsbury's bag.

Brazen Arrand used the pockets of a coat stolen in another theft to hid items taken from a second vehicle he broke into.

He admitted stealing from two vehicles and attempting to break into a third.

The first victim had left his Vauxhall Astra locked and secured outside his girlfriend's home near to Royles Head Lane in Longwood on June 17, Kirklees magistrates were told.

At 3pm he returned to his car and found that some of his belongings had been stolen.

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Prosecutor Maureen Edwards said: ”On checking a neighbour's CCTV he saw a male approach his car and using an object, possibly a screwdriver, he gained access to the vehicle and conducted an untidy search.

“He removed the complainant's coat, put it on and then filled the pockets with the various items he'd taken from the vehicle and then walked off.”

On August 31 another victim living in the same area left his VW Polo parked outside his home and when he returned noticed that one of the windows had a hole in it and the glass surrounding it had shattered.

His sister looked at her CCTV and it showed a male smashing the window. Miss Edwards said: “While he was looking at his car a male stumbled into the street and stated to the complainant that he'd lost his keys and was looking for them.

“The victim told him he was not welcome there and to leave the street and police attended.”

On the same day a Seat Ibiza parked on Manchester Road in Longroyd Bridge was broken into by Arrand.

Miss Edwards told magistrates: “The defendant used a spark plug to smash the front window, climb into the vehicle and conduct an untidy search.

“He took a sat nav, torches, a deodorant and a winter coat. He stored these in a an orange Sainsbury's bag and hid them in a bush in an alleyway between Manchester Road and Bank Foot Road.”

Manchester Road in Longroyd Bridge
Aarand broke into a Seat Ibiza parked in Manchester Road, Longroyd Bridge

“The victim was travelling in a taxi down the road when he noticed the defendant wearing the winter coat.

“He got out and followed the defendant who had gone to the bush to retrieve the items of property.”

The victim detained Arrand, of Granby Flats in Paddock , until police arrived.

Magistrates were told that he has had a problem with crack cocaine and heroin for the past 20 years.

He was doing well with treatment but recently relapsed after learning of his mum's terminal cancer diagnosis.

Mrs Kidd said: “He has been struggling to get his head around this and has undertaken to use Class A substances to dull the pain.

“He's been using them as a crutch and that's resulted in further offending.

“It's clear that he needs help in what is a difficult time.”

Magistrates sentenced Arrand to a community order with six months of non-residential drug treatment and 15 days of rehabilitation activities.

He will have comply with an electronically-monitored curfew for 12 weeks and pay his three victims £100 each as well as £85 court costs and £85 victim surcharge.