Digger thief in deep trouble

GUILTY . . . Crossley outside Oldham Magistrates Court

Desperate raider rumbled

A CASH-STRAPPED thief who stole a £25,000 digger under the cover of darkness was rumbled by a night shift cop.

Darren Lee Crossley (42), of Sholver Hill Close, claims he was in trouble with his mortgage company when he drilled into the lock of a metal container which secured the vehicle on Ripponden Road.

Anne-Marie Nicholls, prosecuting, told Oldham magistrates how Crossley hoped to hide the black and yellow digger, which has a top speed of 15mph, until he could sell it on. Crossley pleaded guilty to stealing the Caterpillar, belonging to Oldham Council’s highways department, and driving it without insurance or the correct licence at 4.55am on January 26.

Sgt Prescott caught Crossley red-handed turning from Balfour Street into Hanson Street without any lights on. Crossley attempted to take the digger on to the kerb with the hope of going around parked cars, but it was too big.

On noticing a police van, he panicked and abandoned the vehicle and fled down Hanson Street where he was eventually detained after a short pursuit.

He told the officer: “I’m skint and I’ve fallen behind on my mortgage — that’s why I’ve done it.”

Crossley told police he had seen the digger being put away by Oldham Council workers and thought about it overnight before stealing it the next day as the keys were still in the ignition.

Crossley had been unemployed for two years and was in trouble with his mortgage company.

Tim Hughes, defending, told the court how Crossley had been out of work for two years.

He added: “Mr Crossley is relieved to say he has work again as a roadworker.

“It was inevitable he was going to be rumbled — this was hardly a get-away vehicle.

“This was an act of desperation brought on by his mortgage company making noise about foreclosure on his house.

“That would be a catastrophe for him and a reason why he committed the offence.”

Crossley is due to be sentenced on Thursday.