Police arrested a man as he tried to cut open a stolen Leeds City Council parking meter in his living room.
The room was filled with smoke as Mohammed Siddique used an angle grinder on the metal machine.
Leeds Crown Court heard the meter had been stolen on August 3 last year after being removed from its mounting at Quarry Hill car park.
Neighbours saw the 27-year-old carrying the machine into his home on Compton Road, Harehills and reported it to West Yorkshire Police.
Prosecutor Louise Pryke said: "When police arrived they described the room as being full of smoke as the defendant had been trying to break into the machine using an angle grinder."
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Ms Pryke said the parking meter was worth £6,000.
Siddique was arrested and made no comment in his police interview. He was released on bail but was arrested again on October 10 for dangerous driving.
Siddique got into the driver's seat of his friend's VW Golf and drove off as he dropped off some milk at a house.
His friend phoned police and the car was later spotted by officer's being driven on Newton Road, Harehills. Siddique failed to stop and sped off along Harehills Lane.
He drove onto Chapeltown Road and mounted a pavement before crashing.
Siddique pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
He has previous convictions for driving while disqualified, aggravated vehicle taking and handling stolen goods.
Jane Cooper, mitigating, said Siddique suffers from mental health problems.
The court heard his condition is made worse by using cannabis and Spice.
Referring to the parking meter incident, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC, said: "The maximum sentence for this [offence] is 26 weeks in custody.
"Council tax-paying members of the public might be somewhat surprised by that."
Siddique was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
