Sutton man with balaclava and bolt cutters initially denied tampering with motorbike
A Sutton man who was caught hiding in a parked car with bolt cutters, scissors, wire cutters and a balaclava in the early hours of the morning initially denied tampering with a nearby motorbike, a court has heard.
A resident on Main Street in Huthwaite raised the alarm after seeing Luke Walters near the bike with bolt croppers at 2am on December 18, said prosecutor Donna Fawcett.
He returned 15 minutes later and lay the bike on its side before using a cigarette lighter to find the ignition.
When police arrived he hid behind a vehicle but was arrested and later claimed he wasn't there.
Ryan Higginbotham, mitigating, asked for a probation report.
He said Walters received a “fairly lengthy prison sentence” of four years and eight months for robbery in 2020 and was released in August 2022.
“Since then he has been on licence and hasn't been recalled,” said Mr Higginbotham. “He has complied well with the licence on the face of it.
“He has proven he can stay on the right side of the law and keep his head down and not offend.”
He said Walter’s partner has been a stabilising influence but when he was kicked out he began to misuse his medication.
He “spiralled and committed this offence,” Mr Higginbotham said.
Walters, 34, of Greenwood Avenue, Huthwaite, admitted attempted theft of a motor vehicle and going equipped for theft, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.
The case was adjourned for probation reports until February 15 on condition he doesn’t go onto Main Street, Huthwaite.