A YOUNG car thief has had his jail term extended after his victim successfully challenged a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charging decision.

Gavin William Wilkinson received a 19-month prison sentence after admitting aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified and without insurance, at Durham Crown Court, on December 21.

It related to a Seat Ibiza, taken from the driveway of a house in Great Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, overnight between Saturday and Sunday, September 12/13, last year.

The court heard the car keys were taken from the property, in Tintagel, and the Seat was driven only a short distance, before colliding in nearby Grosmont, leaving it a write-off.

Neighbours came out and saw Wilkinson heading up the street, apparently drunk, but he refused to wait at the scene until police arrived.

The court heard he was picked out at a video identity procedure by the residents, having been recognised because of his distinctive neck tattoo.

Twenty-five-year-old Wilkinson, of Ewehill Terrace, Fencehouses, near Chester-le-Street, was only charged with the offences relating to the Seat.

But Chris Baker, prosecuting, told the court today (Thursday March 24) that a second car, a Renault Twingo, was also written-off, having been moved from the driveway to enable to Seat to be driven away.

Mr Baker said the victim of the break-in used her right to challenge the CPS decision not to also proceed with charges of burglary and a second aggravated vehicle taking against Wilkinson.

Her challenge proved successful, but the decision was not relayed to the court before Wilkinson was sentenced in December.

He was brought from custody to now answer for those other charges, which he also admitted.

The victim of the burglary also chose to read her victim impact statement to the court, and said Wilkinson’s actions caused the family great heart ache, with both her own vehicle and that of her disabled parents’ written off.

She said in the aftermath of the break-in she was unable to travel to watch her daughter complete the Great North Run, on the Sunday, and had to ask her brother to drive from Scotland to transport their parents.

Tony Davis, mitigating, said there was an element of “double jeopardy” for the defendant over the way the case has been handled.

Mr Davis said Wilkinson was merely moving the Twingo to be able to get the Seat, “the object of his attention”, off the drive.

Judge Simon Hickey imposed a sentence of 32 months on Wilkinson.

But, after the hearing, Mr Davis said the defence would consider appealing the sentence given the way the prosecution was handled by the Crown.