One man was jailed and another received a suspended prison sentence for handling stolen jewellery and antiques which they wanted to sell to make money for Christmas.
Liam Curtis, 23, of Lymn Court, Grantham, was jailed for 16 weeks after admitting possessing stolen goods. Clive Taylor, 24, of Thames Road, Grantham, was handed a 16-week sentence suspended for 12 months for the same offence and a two-week concurrent sentence, also suspended, for possessing cannabis. He was also ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge.
A third person, Sarah Taylor, admitted receiving stolen goods and was fined £70 with £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.
Prosecuting, Marie Stace told the court that the three were stopped in a Fiat Punto car in Trent Road by police on November 20 last year, because they were driving without lights.
Clive Taylor admitted he had a spliff in his hoodie which he handed to one of the officers and it was identified as cannabis.
The police found bags containing the antiques and jewellery in the boot and footwell of the car. The defendants told the officers they had bought the items off a “tall ginger skaghead”.
Miss Stace said Curtis told officers the items were to be sold for scrap to get cash for Christmas.
Clive Taylor tried to escape from the officers but was quickly caught. A ring was later found at his address and a bag containing a camera and a GPS tracker was found during a search of Sarah Taylor’s. These had been stolen in a burglary in Redmile Walk.
Miss Stace told the court that Sarah Taylor said she had bought the car on November 16 and then found the bag containing the camera and tracker in the boot.
She put the bag in a cupboard under the stairs at her address, intending to take it back to the car company from which she had bought the vehicle. Miss Stace said Taylor had never gone back to the company or made any inquiries about the items.
Clive Taylor had said the property had been bought for £100 and that the cannabis was for his own use. In interview, Curtis had also said he and Clive Taylor had bought the items for £100. The property was later returned to its owners.
Rob Arthur, for all three defendants, said: “For Mr Taylor and Mr Curtis it was the old adage ‘never look a gift horse in the mouth’ as this had come back to bite them.
“They were stopped in the vehicle and accept they bought the items for £100 to try to sell them and make money for Christmas.”
He said Sarah Taylor agreed for police to search her property and they found the bag containing the camera and tracker which she now accepts she was asked to look after.
Mr Arthur said: “The fact is she turned a blind eye and will face the consequences.”
Clive Taylor and Curtis were sentenced after magistrates read probation reports. Curtis, who suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, had previously said it was unlikely he could complete a community service and was prepared for a prison sentence.