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Chronicle Live
National
Rob Kennedy

Thief who stole and crashed Uber Eats car and pinched Deliveroo bike locked up

A drunk thief stole and crashed an Uber Eats driver's car then pinched a Deliveroo bike.

Steven Graham was already on bail for taking and crashing another car during a police chase while under the influence.

But when he saw the food delivery car had been left briefly unattended with the keys in the ignition, he struck again.

He reached up to 70mph in a 30 zone in the Uber Eats Mini before crashing into a tree.

Now Graham, 36, of Abercorn Road, Denton Burn, Newcastle, will be choosing from the prison menu after he was jailed for 62 weeks.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the first set of offences happened on April 23, when Graham had been to his sister's home.

He asked for the keys to her boyfriend's Chevrolet Cruze, saying he just wanted to have a look at it but at 12.50am they realised he and it were gone.

Police were called and saw him driving it on Saltwell Road, Gateshead. He ignored officers' attempts to pull him over and did 50mph in a 30 zone with speed bumps, before swerving from side to side over the Redheugh Bridge and going through red lights.

He eventually hit a kerb and crashed and the car was left with the two front wheels pointing in opposite directions.

The second set of offences happened on June 25 when Graham saw the Uber Eats Mini had been left unattended while the driver went to get some food.

He got in and drove off and was later spotted by police and reached 70mph in a 30 zone, drove erratically, went on the wrong side of the road then hit a kerb and smashed into a tree. He was described as being "off his head".

Graham then went on to steal a Deliveroo cyclist's bike on Northumberland Street, Newcastle. When police caught up with him he said he said he "taxed" him for being cheeky.

Graham pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated vehicle taking, two counts of drink driving, two of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, having no insurance and theft.

As well as the prison sentence, he was banned from driving for 83 weeks.

Rachel Hedworth, defending, said he had been attacked when he was 18, which left him with memory problems and he became addicted to medication he was prescribed.

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