A dad says he was almost trapped between two cars when a burglar reversed one of them off his driveway.
An open door of the stolen Fiat 500 also damaged the victim’s Mercedes-Benz A-Class as Darren Partington made his getaway, a court head. Partington has now been jailed for two years and five months after pleading guilty to the burglary and a string of other offences committed between May and June of this year.
The 33-year-old was pictured wearing a t-shirt from popular film series Fast and Furious in his police mugshot.
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Partington’s first burglary came on May 23, in Green Lane, Middleton, Manchester Crown Court heard. While the homeowner slept, his £40,000 Toyota Supra was stolen from his drive.
A wallet, containing a number of cards and £110 in cash, was also taken after Partington gained entry through the back door of the home in the early hours of the morning. Later that day, one of the cards was used to withdraw £200 from a cash machine at Hopwood Service Station.
In a victim impact statement, the car owner said that his wife and three children were also in the house at the time of the incident and that since, they have been continually checking doors and windows. He also said that he missed a number of days of work as he had no means of transport.
On June 29, Partington targeted a home in Salford. On this occasion, he let himself in through the front door and stole the keys to a Fiat 500 that was parked in the drive.
One resident of the house was alerted to the burglary by a notification from his Ring doorbell at around 2am. The man ran downstairs to confront Partington, banging on the window of the car that Partington was sitting in and even opening the driver door.
Partington reversed away quickly, while the door was still open, striking the back of the man’s Mercedes.
In a victim personal statement, the man said that he was almost “trapped” between the two cars and says he has ongoing paranoia and sleep issues. His girlfriend, who the Fiat 500 belonged to, added that she was concerned because their three children were home at the time.
Partington was spotted driving the Supra from the earlier burglary and was arrested on September 4. He provided a no comment interview but later pleaded guilty to two burglaries, aggravated vehicle taking, fraud by false representation, driving without a licence, and driving without insurance.
Defending, Michael Johnson told the court that Partington, of no fixed abode, was living in a tent at the time of the crimes and that drug taking and drinking was “rife” within the impromptu camp site in which he stayed. “His offending was in essence underpinned by a need to finance that sort of substance abuse,” Mr Johnson said.
Mr Johnson also described Partington as a man “disadvantaged by his childhood and upbringing”. A pre-sentence report added that Partington “struggles to understand the impact of burglary on households”.
The judge, Recorder Neil Usher jailed Partington for two years and seven months. Addressing Partington, who appeared via a video link from prison, Recorder Usher said: “You must understand that very difficult personal circumstances can never justify or excuse burgling people’s homes”.
Referencing the victims of the June 29 burglary, he said that the man “could have been seriously injured” and added: “They’re looking over their shoulders in their own home, they’re nervous in their own home thanks to your intrusion”. Recorder Usher also banned Partington from driving for two years and three months.
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