Sunderland man pleads guilty to stealing van in Gateshead

Mark French, 30, pinched the £10,000 Ford Transit from outside an address in Shibdon Bank, Blaydon, Gateshead, on Wednesday, August 7.

The next day French, of West View, Castletown, was collared by police as he drove in County Durham with items prosecutors said showed he planned to burgle.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard they were pliers, a screwdriver, a code reading device, a pair of gloves and a Balaclava.

He pleaded guilty to charges of going equipped for burglary and theft of a motor vehicle.

The court was told French had already pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance, all on Thursday, August 8.

It is believed he committed the dangerous driving offence in the stolen van and that his burglary kit was contained within.

French is due to be sentenced for those offences at Durham Crown Court on Tuesday, April 29.

Prosecutor Emily Hunt said: “The defendant has three other offences from the same incident at the crown court at Durham.

“It may be that both of these new matters are committed to the crown court as well.”

Syed Ahmed, defending, said only that he agreed French’s latest offences should be dealt with by a crown court.

District Judge Zoe Passfield told French she could only send his case to Newcastle Crown Court and not the Durham court, and that he would appear there on Tuesday, May 6.

She said it was likely the date and venue would change so that his five offences could be dealt with together.

Judge Passfield told French: “You will be given full credit for those guilty pleas.

“I understand that you have matters at Durham Crown Court on April 29.”

Judge Passfield granted French unconditional bail.