30 months in jail for Droitwich car-key burglary

Buy photos » Flynn has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. s

A MAN who carried out a car-key burglary in Droitwich has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years behind bars.

James Darren Flynn, 27, from Junction Road, Stourbridge, broke into a house in Westbury Avenue while the owners were asleep and stole a laptop and keys to a BMW 5 series, before driving it to Worcester.

The incident happened between 11.30pm on September 15 and 4.05am on September 16.

Flynn, who was stopped by the police in the early hours of September 16 in London Road, then claimed to officers he found the vehicle with the keys still in it and decided to take it for a drive.

He was later charged with taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and pleaded guilty to it at Hereford Crown Court.

In the same two-day trial, he denied the burglary, but was found guilty of both offences by the jury.

He was sentenced yesterday (Thursday) to two-and-a-half years in prison for the burglary and nine months for taking a vehicle without the owner's consent. Those sentences will run concurrently, meaning Flynn will serve two-and-a-half-years in total.

Speaking after the verdict, Det Con Peter Ryland said officers were pleased with the result.

"Thankfully burglary levels in South Worcestershire are relatively low, but we hope this sentence sends a clear message to those involved in these types of crimes that we will not tolerate travelling criminals coming into our towns and villages and breaking into the homes of our residents while they are asleep."