Jail for quad bike thief held by soldiers (From The Northern Echo)

Jail for quad bike thief held by soldiers

8:45am Monday 28th December 2009

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A QUAD bike thief whose getaway was foiled by Dutch paratroopers has spent the festive season behind bars after two months at large.

William McClacklan, 25, was arrested in the Bishop Auckland area last Monday, police have revealed.

Warrants for his arrest were issued by both a judge and magistrates after he failed to appear at hearings in October, having submitted a sick note claiming he was unfit to appear at earlier hearings.

McClacklan was charged with the theft of a £5,000 quad bike, taken from Satley Farm, near Lanchester, County Durham, on October 5.

He was pursued at speeds of up to 50mph for more than three miles, by farmer’s son Nick Walker, on another quad bike.

McClacklan hit a kerb, lost control and fell from the Honda 450CC machine on the A68, near Tow Law.

Four members of a passing detachment of Dutch paratroopers, en route to a military exercise at Otterburn, in Northumberland, leapt from their vehicle and detained Mc- Clacklan until police arrived to complete the arrest.

Following his re-arrest, Mc- Clacklan, of Gurlish West, Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, was brought before a judge at Durham Crown Court, to answer the bench warrant.

He was jailed for 13 weeks after admitting taking the quad bike and breaching bail.

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