(Image: Durham Constabulary)
A man involved in stealing a £22,000 caravan from a County Durham holiday park was caught as it was towed away the following night.
The owner left his recently bought 2018 Swift Sprint Quatro model locked and secured with a wheel clamp, at the Crimdon Dene site, on March 25 this year.
Durham Crown Court was told he planned to use it for family breaks with his three children, who all have special needs.
Prosecutor Miah Nath said the following day a friend of the owner was walking with his family on the site when he saw a white Citroen van approaching.
When he returned, he saw the parked van attached to the caravan, the front door of which was open with up to three men inside.
The van then towed the caravan away and the incident was reported to police.
Miss Nath said officers in an unmarked car spotted the white Citroen van towing the caravan towards Wingate on the A181 near Castle Eden shortly after 11pm the following day and followed.
Officers noticed the van’s registration number did not match the caravan it was towing.
Caravan thief Martin Mongans jailed for 17 months for taking part in the theft of a secure £22k Swift Sprint model, from Crimdon Dene Holiday Park, on the Co Durham coast, in March
The van left the A181 at Wingate and stopped near Station Town, where the officers pulled in behind and spotted four men, two in dark clothing, one in an orange high-vis jacket and one in a fleece jacket.
All four ran off and were chased, but one officer noticed the man in the fleece jacket was carrying a torch as she caught up with him.
She ordered him to raise his hands and drop the torch, warning that she had a Taser.
He raised his arms but then ran towards the officer, who used her Taser.
It was not fully effective, but the officers caught up with him and took him to the ground as he tried to run away.
Despite continuing to resist, he was detained and arrested.
He was wearing rubber gardening gloves and a black hat with a torch, and had another black glove in his pocket.
Miss Nath said several registration plates were recovered, none matching the van or caravan, suggesting the theft had been planned.
In the police car, 48-year-old Martin Mongans claimed he had only been walking nearby, and later denied involvement in the caravan theft during interview.
He claimed the men in the van flagged him down and gave him a lift.
However, DNA matching Mongans was found on a discarded cigarette, the neck of a drinks bottle and the vehicle dashboard.
Mongans, of Granton Road, Edinburgh, who failed to attend a previous hearing, admitted the caravan theft in August.
He has previous offences in Ireland, including theft, and is wanted in Scotland on warrants for theft and vehicle interference.
Jonathan Gittins, for Mongans, pleaded guilty well before his scheduled trial and now accepts full responsibility.
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Mr Gittins said the defendant intended to return to Edinburgh to support his wife and five children and answer for outstanding offences in Scotland.
Recorder Mark McKone said it had been a determined effort involving Mongans and three others, who removed the clamp and towed the caravan away, with “significant planning” involved.
Imposing a 17-month prison sentence, Recorder McKone said it would not be suspended because he was unsure Mongans could be rehabilitated or would attend probation appointments.