A THIEF’S misguided bid to take a vehicle to complete his return home from court ended within yards, when he reversed into a luxury car.

But Wayne Kevin Beard’s misfortune mounted as it emerged the parked Mercedes belonged to Durham’s Deputy Chief Constable, Michael Banks.

The force’s second highest ranked officer was alerted at his home nearby and he came out to confront the miscreant.

Beard, who had taken valium, then compounded his position by trying to avoid arrest in the ensuing confrontation, attempting to head butt the senior officer.

But Mr Banks managed to evade the main force of the blow and received only minor injuries to his upper lip.

Durham Crown Court heard that during the struggle Beard made threats to Mr Banks, saying: “Today is the day you die.”

His arrest was completed when other officers arrived at the scene and although Beard complied with a breath test, he refused to provide a follow up blood sample to check if he had alcohol in his system.

Jonathan Walker, prosecuting, said the incident arose from Beard’s alleged harassment of his partner in previous days which led to his arrest and appearance at a Saturday morning remand court appearance before magistrates in Peterlee, on March 9.

On his release on bail he complained at being given only a small amount of money to make his way home to Bowburn, near Durham, and set out to walk.

Mr Walker said Beard reached a village pub and went in, stealing a customer’ s car keys and mobile phone from his unattended jacket on a clothing stand.

He used the keys to gain access to a Fiat Punto which he reversed into the Mercedes, causing total damage to both cars estimated in excess of £5,000.

Beard, 34, of Walker Street, Bowburn, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, assaulting a police officer in the execution of his duty, theft of the mobile phone and failing to provide a blood specimen.

David Comb, mitigating, said Beard, originally from the Midlands, accepts he has “a bad record of offending” but had settled down in recent years, moving to the North-East, working and living with his partner.

Mr Comb added that following a five-year lapse in offending his recent problems arose after he became stressed with the onset of an expected child and began ordering valium from the internet.

Jailing him for two years, Judge Peter Kelson told Beard he has, “an absolutely appalling record”, despite an improvement in his behaviour in recent years until the latest incidents.

He added that given his actions on March 9, when, by his own admission, he was “full of valium”, a prison sentence was “inevitable”.