A MAN trusted with delivering motor cross bikes stole three and bragged about selling them, a court heard.

Kyle Goulding appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle and two counts of failing to answer bail.

Saba Shan, prosecuting, said the 31-year-old had worked for the injured party for a number of months before he stole the bikes and sold them for £9,000.

She added: "He was trusted to deliver three bikes to customers but those bikes never arrived. The injured party received a number of calls saying nothing had arrived and then he heard that the defendant had been bragging about selling all three bikes and had spoke of his intention to burn out the van.

"The defendant did not return to the yard that evening and was found with the keys in his possession. The van was found nearby with significant damage."

Darren Brown, mitigating, said the defendant had battled with a serious cannabis addiction for a number of years but had recently overcome it.

He said: "His record does not make a good read but the majority of it would come down to his cannabis addiction.

"There has been nothing on his record since this offence and since then he has completely turned his life around.

"He has moved away from the area he was living in, got himself off cannabis, he's rekindled his relationship with his child and he has secured employment."

Magistrates declined jurisdiction of the case and Goulding, of Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, was remanded into custody pending a hearing at Durham Crown Court on February 25th.