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Motorcycle news : General news
You are looking at: Home : Motorcycle news : General news

Manhole thief caught in Cheddar

Thief stole covers to pay rent. Motorcyclists and cyclists at severe risk

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Posted: 3 February 2011
by Visordown News

A 22-year old man who was caught stealing manhole and drain covers in Cheddar, has been given a community order.

Daniel Summers was caught by police at 2am, with around 20 drain covers in the back of his van. Summers said he stole the covers to sell as scrap because he and his girlfriend were behind on rent.

Summers pleaded guilty to theft, driving while disqualified and without insurance and two counts of failing to surrender to custody.

Bristol Crown Court was told that when a district judge - who was a motorcyclist - heard about the crime, he remanded Summers in custody.

The court heard that, as well as the obvious lethal danger to cyclists and motorcyclists, the thefts necessitated emergency drain covers to be installed at a cost of £450.

Paul Cook, mitigating, said his client had been remanded in custody for a fortnight and that this provided him with a taste of imprisonment for what he had done.

Mr Cook also said that Summers was slowing down in his offending and growing up.

The recorder Mr Belben handed Summers a community order involving 18 months' supervision, a Thinking Skills Programme for up to 30 days and a 12-month driving ban.

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Discuss this story


frank myer
This piece of filth should be thrown down a man hole and the cover replaced,then his van parked on top.

Posted: 03/02/2011 at 10:11


Pagik

A touch harsh Frank. I think a community order is sufficent.


Posted: 03/02/2011 at 10:24


Jerr OCarroll
Id like to know what bastid was buying them off him. Hes just as bad, and should be easy enough to trace? Scarp yard full of manhole covers..

Posted: 03/02/2011 at 11:14


Peter de Zeeuw

It is clear that what he was doing was potentially lethal to road users, the offence should be treated as malicious.

 If the man is retarded enough to be unaware of the potential dangers, he should be put away for everyones' safety. If however he recognised and chose to ignore the obvious potential dangers, then he is a dangerous individual who should serve much more than 2 weeks at her Majesty's pleasure.


Posted: 03/02/2011 at 12:00


Fred Maxwell

Simple answer:  Force him to ride a motorcycle at 25mph (40km/h) into an open manhole -- one of the ones he stole the cover from.  Put him in the minimally required open-face helmet and no other protective gear.  

It is asinine to let this this guy off so lightly when sport bike riders are put in jail for speeding on highways, where they pose little danger to anyone but themselves.


Posted: 03/02/2011 at 13:30


TurboSlug
It's a shame the law in this country is bonkers, probably due to the fact we are such an old country with confusing and outdated laws.

Posted: 03/02/2011 at 15:04


Thomp

In my eyes He should be given 2 years community service (yup 2 years!) that way he'll be working for the community for the next 5 years atleast free of charge and not recieving benifits whilst not being in prison where all they get is tv and food.

The scrap metal merchants that he sold them too previously (if he did) should be seized and closed by the council plus any business license's taken from those in charge. Simply put why should taxpayers have too pay for this guys mistake, we should get money back and his labour free of charge for a long period of time.

Luckily by the sounds of it no-one was seriously injured, if anyone had beenthen he should of been facing a attempted manslaughter (by stupidity?) charge. What a complete !"$^%)£%


Posted: 03/02/2011 at 15:09


sleeping thunder

I am with fred max on this matter.Get caught speeding wearing appropriate clothing & with approriate documentation & they treat you like public enemy No 1.But do some thing such as this when is only objective is to turn a quick buck at a huge risk & cost to every one else,If he could not afford his rent i would bet his Van was not Taxed & insured.But his charge will not be in line with is offence.


Posted: 03/02/2011 at 15:21


Thomp

If only this had happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/a43a0683cc/removing-manhole-cover-fail?rel=player


Posted: 03/02/2011 at 15:31


MF
Roger's Profanosaurus has a different definition for 'manhole'...

Posted: 03/02/2011 at 15:32


wasabi

A piece of human trash. Should be flogged. I'm sure the usual soft lefties will be squawk over the sob stories on his being behind on the rent. Any one taking bets he don't have Sky Plus and a 42 inch telly at home?


Posted: 03/02/2011 at 18:46


pyndman

A thinking skills program - I like the sound of that, could I get an enrolement as well, thinking has often bewildered me.  Good to see he's slowing down his offending though - good on him. 

But I do think that he should be given an entrepreneurship credit, that's some pretty shrewd observation skills in search of business opportunity. I've passed those things millions of times and never thought of the possibility of selling them. Brilliant.

And by the way, you aren't  allowed to call them man holes anymore, because its sexist language use. Im always up a mans hole in my line of work, but I was assured by a highly strung feminist(s) once or twice it's an access hole. Either that or 'man and women hole'. I prefer the latter.

Interestingly, I would say it would be the man and woman hole authority who would be sued should anyone result in injury because they don't have them secured. Secure your man and women holes now to avoid libel. My man hole has been secured for years now, no one gets near it.


Posted: 03/02/2011 at 22:23


Nick Bennett 2
Every hole's a goal - apart from a manhole

Posted: 04/02/2011 at 18:30


neville yeo
what would the sentence have been if some poor person was hurt or killed because of this fools actions? are we allowed to know if he was even legally driving or paying taxes or a re-offender? is he working , on benefits ? why do we make these peoples lives so easy ffs

Posted: 04/02/2011 at 18:44


Ben yamin

Hey Chaps, read the article! "Summers pleaded guilty to theft, driving while disqualified and without insurance and two counts of failing to surrender to custody."

Public flogging and chop off his right hand - sharia law has its uses! 


Posted: 08/02/2011 at 16:58

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