Sunderland man jailed after stealing blue light from top of police car

David Ryan Mcbeth was caught on security camera as he jumped repeatedly on the vehicle’s bonnet while trying to rip the bar from its roof.

He then walked away from the car with the blue light on his shoulder in an act described by police as “nonsense bragging rights”.

The case made national headlines when British Transport Police released a photo from the footage in their attempts to identify him.

Mcbeth, of Bevan Avenue, Ryhope, was arrested in the station a month after the offence and is now behind bars for 11 weeks after he admitted stealing the light, which was never recovered, when he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

Nicki Forster, prosecuting, said the Christmas theft deprived the police of “a critical resource” at a busy time.

The court heard that officers realised the light was missing as they were about to use the vehicle while it was parked up in Station Street, near to Sunderland Railway Station, on December 27, 2018.

Two males were spotted in the footage approaching the car from Waterloo Street at about 4.30am on Boxing Day.

Miss Forster said: “One of the males is seen to jump several times on the police car bonnet and to try to remove the blue bar from the vehicle while the other male looked on.”

She added: “He puts it on his shoulder and off towards Athenaeum Street with other male.”

Charlie Carr, mitigating, said: “There was no rhyme or reason why he has done what he has done.

“It was a moment of madness after Christmas Day.”

Mcbeth, who turned 30 the day before his latest court hearing, initially denied the offence before changing his plea on the morning of his trial.

Jailing him for the theft, Judge Kate Meek said: “It is also in anyone’s definition anti-social behaviour which you have numerous previous offences for.

“It has caused significant inconvenience to the police and significant inconvenience to various members of the public because the police car was out of action.”

Mcbeth must also pay a £115 victim surcharge although he was spared having to contribute towards the light’s £1,020 cost.

Mr Carr said: “He clearly does not have any cash at the moment.”

Police Constable Michael Proudfoot, of British Transport Police, said afterwards: “This was an act of sheer stupidity, he targeted a squad car in clear view of cameras and would not stop until he got hold of the emergency lights. You can only imagine he did this for some nonsense bragging rights.

“What he clearly didn’t consider is that it would force us to take a car out of action and cost the police time and money to get it replaced. Such selfishness isn’t something we or the courts take lightly and that’s why he’s been jailed.”