Bike thief jailed - York

A man has been jailed for stealing two bikes within hours of each other from York station.

Luke Ellerby, aged 41, of HMP Humber was sentenced to eight weeks in jail after he pleaded guilty to two counts of theft on Thursday 21 July, at York Magistrates’ Court.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128.

The court heard how on Tuesday 2 November last year, Ellerby first approached the cycle racks in the short stay car park at York station on a push bike before abandoning it and riding away on a stolen bike.

Later the same day Ellerby returned to the bike racks, this time on foot, and stole another bike.

Witnesses reported seeing Ellerby loitering around the cycle racks before the owners of the bikes returned from their commute to find their bikes had been stolen.

Investigating officer Sgt Rebecca Murphy said: "This was theft at its most brazen. Ellerby didn't care who saw him when he effectively helped himself to the bikes. Hopefully a custodial sentence will be a lesson to him to keep his hands off other people's hard earned property."