A teenager escaped an immediate prison sentence despite being involved in three incidents of aggravated taking of motorcycles, in little more than a fortnight, earlier this year.

But 19-year-old Mackenzie Short was told any breaches of the suspended sentence order imposed by a judge at Durham Crown Court would see him locked up for either part or all of the 12-month jail term imposed.

Short was the rider of two of the illegally-taken machines in County Durham and was a passenger in the third incident.

He received the 12-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months, at Durham Crown Court this week (Wednesday March 13).

The Northern Echo:

But he must complete 40 rehabilitation activity days overseen by the Probation Service in the first year of the suspended prison term.

He was also banned from driving for 18 months and must then sit an extended re-test, once the ban expires, to be able to legally drive in future.

Judge Nathan Adams also ordered the defendant to observe a three-month, electronically-monitored home curfew, between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

The Northern Echo:

Short, of Norham Court, Oxclose, Washington, admitted three counts of aggravated vehicle taking, two as the initial taker and one while being carried by an accomplice, plus dangerous driving connected to all three incidents.

He also admitted two counts of using a vehicle without third-party insurance, on February 11, and one of being arrested by a constable for breaking or being liable to break bail conditions, on March 5.

The first incident involved a Rieju Marathon motorcycle taken in the Consett area on January 26, before being ridden dangerously on the A693 at High Handenhold and on the A167.

In another incident, Short took a Yamaha MT-10 in the Durham area on February 11, before riding it dangerously on Shincliffe Lane, the A181 at Byers Garth and the A1(M).

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The court heard that in a further incident, also on February 11, he was carried on an illegally-taken Honda XL, which was also ridden dangerously on Shincliffe Lane, the A181 and the A1(M).

Judge Adams reserved any breaches in the case to himself and warned Short that if he fails to meet any aspect of the order in the next 18 months he will come back to court before him and the suspended sentence would be activated in part or in full.

Short was also ordered to pay a £187 statutory court surcharge, with a collection order made for its payment within 14 days.