A PROLIFIC car thief who stole diesel from a North-East farm yesterday apologised to the family of a grandmother who died during the raid.

Tony Aaron Blair said sorry to the family of Rosemary Dove, who would have celebrated her 69th birthday yesterday but suffered a fatal heart attack while reporting the theft to police.

She and her husband, Frank, discovered Blair – jailed for eight-and-a-half years yesterday – helping himself to fuel at their farm in Bishop Middleham, County Durham, on June 22.

Mr Dove pursued the thief while his wife of 47 years dialled 999.

While speaking to police, she collapsed and died, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday.

Christopher Baker, mitigating, said: “He is genuinely sorry for what happened that day. I would like to offer a public apology on his behalf to the Dove family.”

But as he was jailed, the 22- year-old hurled obscenities and insults at Judge Tony Briggs.

Blair, of Leeholme Road, Leeholme, near Bishop Auckland, was on bail in connection with 4x4 vehicle thefts when he was caught stealing red diesel from East House Farm.

Mr Dove, helped by sons Michael and John and grandson Graham, who had joined him from their own farms nearby, pursued Blair across fields.

When he found himself cornered, Blair turned around the silver Mitsubishi L200 he had stolen two days earlier and drove at Michael, who was on foot.

The 44-year-old was hit by the pick-up and knocked into a ditch, suffering a fractured hip and head and hand injuries.

He spent 12 days in hospital, ten weeks on crutches and could suffer arthritis and need a hip replacement because of the injuries.

In a statement read by Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, he said: “I have suffered great pain and discomfort. I felt a great degree of helplessness at a time when my family, particularly my father, needed me.”

Blair managed to escape the scene, but was arrested on June 24, in Coundon.

He admitted grievous bodily harm, theft of the £17,500 Mitsubishi from Coundon Industrial Estate and theft of diesel.

He also admitted stealing an £8,000 caravan from Richmond on June 18, and two charges of handling stolen goods – one of an £8,000 Toyota Landcruiser and another of a £12,000 Nissan X-Trail.

A further 15 offences of stealing vehicles were taken into consideration.

Blair had asked police to drive him around the region so he could show them where he had committed the crimes.

Most were carried out at rural properties in County Durham and North Yorkshire between October last year and June this year.

They included thefts of a 4x4, a truck, a tipper and a Transit van – together worth an estimated total of more than £100,000.

Sentencing Blair, Judge Tony Briggs said: “Your record is a long one, one which shows quite clearly you are irresponsible and selfish and conduct yourself with total disregard for the safety of others.”

The judge said a particularly upsetting feature of the case was that when Frank Dove was pursuing Blair, he was unaware his wife had suffered a fatal heart attack.

Judge Briggs said: “Your intention was to evade arrest.

You were trying to get away with total disregard for the safety of others.”

Blair was also disqualified from driving for seven years and must pass an extended test before he can get his licence back.

Mr Baker said that after his release from prison, Blair wants to work as a tree surgeon and live a “lawful and productive” life.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Harker, of Durham Police, hopes the case will warn other criminals to consider the consequences of their actions.

He said: “If there is one thing that comes out of this I could say was good, [it is that] somebody might think twice about committing an offence as this shows how far the consequences can go.”

Det Chief Insp Harker said the investigation was difficult because of the tragic circumstances and hopes the sentence will reassure the farming community that such incidents are treated seriously.

“The Dove family are a decent, hardworking, law-abiding family and respected within the community,” he added.

“They have maintained a dignified silence which remains their position. Emotions are still very raw and this is a tragedy they have to come to terms with.”