A masked-up thug robbed a man of his car and drove off before it was found crashed on a sliproad off the A19.
Josh Hyde and Jordan Fluen have both now been jailed for taking the Ford Mondeo in High Hesleden near Blackhall Colliery, on Monday March 2.
The car was reported to have crashed on a slip road of the A19 at Peterlee, later that night.
Hyde, 23, formerly of Peterlee, now of no fixed abode, admitted the robbery at the start of his trial, at Newcastle Crown Court, on August 17. He appeared back before the court the following day when he received a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
His Co-accused Fluen, 24, of Throston Grange Lane, Hartlepool, who was in the passenger seat, admitted handling the stolen car and appeared back before the court on Tuesday (September 28) for sentence.
Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said Hyde, wearing a mask and carrying a hammer robbed the owner of the car and then took to the driver’s seat to try to drive it away, at about 9.30pm that night.
Josh Hyde received a 54-month prison sentence for robbery last month (Image: Durham Constabulary)
He stalled and so Fluen, in the passenger seat, got out and fled to a nearby field.
Hyde finally managed to start the car and collected Fluen a short distance away.
Jordan Fluen jailed for ten months for handling stolen car (Image: Durham Constabulary)
Mr Gittins said a short time later, a 999 call was made from Hyde’s phone reporting that a car had crashed and requesting an ambulance as there were fears one of the pair had suffered a broken ankle.
But a further message, relayed to police, informed the call operator they would get a lift from a friend to hospital.
Police found the Mondeo with extensive front-end damage on an A19 slip road at Peterlee, at 9.40pm.
The car owner reported his vehicle was stolen near High Hesleden and he found his phone in a hedge bearing fingerprints belonging to Hyde.
Police went to the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham, and found Hyde shouting that he had been in a car accident, while Fluen was receiving medical treatment.
A shout was overheard: “Get Josh (Hyde) to keep his mouth shut.”
The victim said the pair were strangers and told police he had never experienced anything like that previously.
He said he could not think about driving again and did not think he would be able to get another car.
Fluen’s sentencing hearing was told he is now serving a 24-week sentence for breaching a community order.
Chris Morrison, for Fluen, said that while in custody he has put his time to good use and is now working in the prison servery.
“He’s putting his head down and doing what’s required of him.”
Judge Tom Moran said it was a serious offence of robbery and very frightening for the victim, having his car taken forcibly by a masked figure with a hammer.
But Judge Moran said he accepted the defendant (Fluen) was only answering for handling stolen goods.
He imposed a ten-month sentence on Fluen but only starting when the 24-week sentence he is now serving expires.