Prison escapees found with stolen £30,000 car thanks to quick-thinking neighbour
Charlie Oakley, of North Street, Burwell, and Levi Mitchell, of Fern Hill Lane, Harlow, tracked down after escaping prison and stealing £30,000 car in Swaffham Prior. - Credit: POLICE
Two men who escaped prison and stole a tracker-fitted car worth £30,000 were caught after a neighbour spotted the Ford Focus being taken from the driveway.
A resident in Fairview Grove, Swaffham Prior, raised the alarm on November 11 last year.
Police tracked the vehicle, which was in convoy with a stolen Ford Fiesta, to Essex.
The stolen Focus was abandoned and the police helicopter spotted Charlie Oakley attempting to discard items and hide.
With the help of the police dog, Levi Mitchell was also found nearby hiding.
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The pair were already wanted for being unlawfully at large after absconding from HMP North Sea Camp in July and October respectively.
At Cambridge Crown Court on October 6, Oakley, 28, of North Street, Burwell, was sentenced to a year and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods and escaping lawful custody.
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Mitchell, 37, of Fern Hill Lane, Harlow, was sentenced to two years for the same charges.
Detective Constable Henry Longhurst said: “Unfortunately for this pair, the vehicle they were in was fitted with a tracker.
"That, along with the help of the victim’s neighbour, who acted on instincts and called us straight away, we were able to act swiftly to ensure they didn’t get far.”
