A brazen digger thief who made a low speed getaway blamed it on a doppelganger when collared by police.
Donning a hi-vis jacket and casually walking over to the mini excavator, John Hall just looks like a workman going about his business. But after slowly driving off in the machine, it was never to be seen again.
When a police officer later recognised Hall from the footage, right down to his distinctive tattoo, he appeared to have dug himself a hole he couldn't get out of. But the former soldier lied to try to evade justice, saying that while it looked like him, it was just a coincidence.
After finally confessing to theft of the machine, worth almost £17,000, he has now been jailed. Newcastle Crown Court heard he walked into a Bellway Homes construction site in Sunderland, and drove off in the Volvo Mini Excavator, which belonged to P and A groundworks, in June 2020.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Muir said the theft was discovered when a worker went onto the site on June 20 2020 and realised the digger had gone. Miss Muir told the court CCTV was checked and added: "On June 18, 2020, at about 6pm, a man wearing a high vis jacket entered the site, went to the digger, got in the digger and simply drove it off."
The court heard a police officer later recognised Hall from the footage. Miss Muir added: "He was shown the CCTV footage and accepted that the man looked just like him, right down to having what appeared to be the same tattoo on his arm but denied it was him.
"He believed it was just a coincidence there was a man who looked almost identical to him had who had been caught on CCTV and denied any involvement." The court heard Hall, 33, of Derwent Street, Houghton-le-Spring, has 52 previous convictions.
Recorder Simon Eckersley said the evidence against Hall had been "overwhelming" and the offence involved "significant planning". He told Hall: "On June 18, 2020, you blatantly went out to steal, having planned to do so, as was evident by your possession of and wearing of a hi-vis jacket.
"Your target was an expensive piece of plant, a Volvo Mini Excavator, worth a significant price. This was a serious theft."
Liam O'Brien, defending, said Hall, who had a young baby, had "buried his head in the sand", to try and "put things off for as long as possible." Mr O'Brien said Hall spent four years in the armed forces and served on the front line in Afghanistan, and has since had problems with alcohol and drug use.
