A thief who stole a car using a bank card left in it was jailed after returning to the scene the next day.
Stephen Palmer, of Moorview Crescent, Newcastle, was caught by video surveillance attempting to break into a line of parked cars on Swinhoe Road in Gosforth in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The 23-year-old stole a can of Pop from a Nissan and left his empty can on the scene before taking a Suzuki Swift on a joyride to look for more vehicles.
Find the latest crime news and the latest police updates in the Northeast here
He later stole a Volkswagen Tiguan from the area and used a bank card left inside to spend £ 50 at the Shell garage in Gosforth before the card was blocked.
Police then opened an investigation into the spate of incidents and officers began searching through video surveillance.
The next day, Palmer returned to the scene of his crimes in a dressing gown and was quickly spotted by an eagle-eyed policeman who recognized him on CCTV.
In a desperate attempt to avoid arrest, he offered a false name, but was taken into custody, where he admitted the chain of thefts and was later charged.
On Monday he pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle in two cases, theft from a motor vehicle in two cases, fraud by misrepresentation in two cases and the disruption of a motor vehicle in three cases.
He was then detained in Newcastle Magistrates’ Court for 20 weeks.
Following the case, Detective Sergeant Dave Lumsden said, “This was a great example of an officer who trusted his instincts and knew something was wrong when he saw Palmer walking down the street.
“The closer he got, the officer could quickly identify him as our main suspect in the video surveillance of the thefts.
“Now an opportunistic, greedy thief has been arrested, charged, and sentenced within 24 hours – and both stolen cars have been returned to their rightful owners.
“It is a fantastic result that is the result of a fantastic and effective partnership between civil servants and all of our criminal justice partners.
“We will not tolerate any kind of theft in our communities and will always act quickly and forcefully against anyone involved in this type of crime.”
Det Sgt Lumsden added, “We would also like to take this opportunity to remind residents to be vigilant and continue to report suspicious behavior to us and ensure their cars are always safe.”
For more crime prevention advice or to report an incident, visit the police website.
Sign up for our free newsletter here to get the latest local news near you straight to your inbox every day
