Jail for Sutton man who moved gang’s stolen vehicles to pay off ‘neverending’ drug debt

Adam Collins became indebted to a Nottingham drug dealer known as "JJ" and later told police he would be paid in heroin and crack cocaine for shifting two cars and a motorbike, prosecutor Sarah Knight said.

Collins was given an OBD scanner that reads vehicles’ electronics and told to collect a white Range Rover Evoque from a street in Kirkby on April 25.

Collins’ blood was also found in an £18,000 silver Landrover Discovery stolen off a drive in Ravenshead.

CCTV showed the Evoque “seemingly waiting” for the Discovery before travelling in convoy to Collins’ former home on New Lane, Stanton Hill, where false registration plates were fitted.

Collins, aged 39, was travelling as a passenger when the Evoque was spotted by a police officer at 10.30am the next day and a high-speed chase through a residential area of Kirkby ensued.

He later claimed he tried to seize control of the Evoque but inadvertently clipped the accelerator while trying to brake and crashed into a wall at the junction of Kingsway and Queensway.

Collins tried to flee but was arrested nearby with fresh cuts on his hand.

He told officers: “I am not bothered. I wasn’t even the driver anyway.”

The £12,500 Evoque was stolen from Covedale Road, in Bestwood, while its disabled owner was visiting her father.

A BMW motorcycle, stolen from Wilford industrial estate, in January, was also driven by Collins to his current home on Adderley Close, Bestwood, three days later.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he is a “prolific offender with multiple court appearances” for handling stolen goods, vehicle thefts and driving while disqualified.

Matt Hayes, mitigating, said Collins owed a “neverending £1,000 debt that never seemed to go away” and was forced into working for serious criminals.

While in custody he has worked to tackle his “longstanding” addictions and acted as a mentor to new prisoners, he added.

Jailing him for 19 months on Wednesday, Judge Steven Coupland said: “You stood to make very little gain for a great deal of risk.”

Collins admitted three counts of handling stolen goods, driving while disqualified, and breaching a suspended sentence imposed for driving while disqualified.