A serial thief who stole Audis to order by booking test drives then never returning was caught when a suspicious salesman followed him onto the M6. Damian Parkington stole several high value cars before being collared when he asked for a closer look at a £19,000 Audi, LancsLive reports.
In the police chase that followed the 47-year-old, of Oldham, drove at speeds of up to 145mph and carried on driving on the wheel rims after a police stinger burst the tyres of the Audi S3 he had stolen.
He has now been jailed for 40 months. Preston Crown Court heard Parkington, 47, who has 15 previous driving bans to his name, returned to his old ways after a relationship breakdown. The defendant, of Springwood Hall Road, has a lengthy record of car thefts and stealing to order, the court heard.
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On May 26, 2022, he asked to test drive an Audi at Crompton Way Motors in Bolton, but when the salesman stepped out of the passenger side of the vehicle, Parkington sped away, catching the salesman's arm with the vehicle as he fled. On June 2, Parkington made an appointment to test drive a Seat Ateca at New Look Cars in Leigh.
The dealer left Parkington in the car and told him to get his licence ready while he went to pick up trade plates ready for the drive. Once again, Parkington took the opportunity to drive away while the trader's back was turned.
On June 12, Parkington visited Empire Motors in Bolton and drove away with a car as the trader was about to get in the passenger side. On May 27 he drove an Audi S3 so fast off the forecourt of Auto Sales Ltd he collided with a gate post.
However on June 6, 2022, Parkington was caught when he asked the manager of Rogers of Brock, near Garstang, if he could have a closer look at a £19,000 Audi S3. The manager handed over the keys and asked Parkington for his driving licence. The car thief looked around the outside of the vehicle before getting into the driver's seat and speeding away.
The sales director followed him as he drove up the A6 onto the motorway. Police caught up with Parkington on the M61 and a rolling roadblock was put in place. As another officer joined the pursuit, with his blue lights on, Parkington moved to the hard shoulder and accelerated to speeds of over 100mph, the court heard. He rejoined the main carriageway and continued to accelerate, reaching 145mph.
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A third police vehicle joined the group and a police stinger was put in place. However Parkington drove over the stinger and continued driving at 140mph on the wheel rims. He began to lose control of the vehicle and was weaving between lanes before he was eventually stopped shortly before Bolton West services.
He was handcuffed and arrested and checks showed he was a banned driver. Two of the managers of businesses targeted by Parkington said they were extremely worried following the thefts. Insurance premiums had gone up for them and they worried about the impact on their businesses.
Parkington pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and four counts of theft of a motor vehicle. The court heard he has 38 previous convictions and was first banned from driving in 1993.
Recorder Michelle Brown, sentencing, said: "You were stealing to order. This is not a victimless crime. Each of the people you stole from have been impacted by worrying abut their business or their jobs and on one occasion, one person was injured.
"You planned where to go and what to steal. You made telephone enquiries before hand and there was a risk of injury, and actual injury on one occasion. You committed these offences while on licence and while disqualified. It appears the only protection the public gets from you is when you are in custody. You are a risk to other road users."
The judge sentenced Parkington to 28 months for each of the thefts to run concurrently, with a further 12 months consecutive for dangerous driving and four months concurrent for each offence of driving while disqualified.
