Sean Beard given suspended sentence for car break-ins

Criminal Sean Beard was before York magistrates for yet more car break-ins and yet more breaches of a criminal behaviour order (CBO) designed to stop him offending.

His solicitor Kevin Blount said Beard commits offences so often, he is no sooner released from jail after serving one sentence than he is back behind bars serving another one.

He was last released from prison on March 24, the court heard, and by April 19, he had broken into two cars at midnight and broken the order three times on two different days.

Now magistrates have allowed him to keep his liberty but warned him he will be jailed for six months at least if he commits another crime in the next 12 months.

The order was made last April at York Magistrates Court as the authorities tried to curb his persistent law-breaking, particularly breaking into cars and banned him from most of west York as well as going into cars without the owner’s consent.

The area Sean Beard cannot enter (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

It was his second CBO in five years – the first had also banned him from going into cars. He has breached both orders many times. 

Mr Blount said the six weeks before his latest arrest was the longest Beard had been out of jail since 2015.

“For the first time in a very long time, he is engaging with the authorities, engaging with the (probation) service and hopefully they are trying to work something out,” said the solicitor.

“Prison isn’t achieving anything. He is simply going round and round in circles with the state paying to accommodate him in Hull Prison.”

Magistrates said Beard’s was a very challenging case but decided to give him the chance to show he can stay out of trouble. They gave him a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months on condition he does 20 days’ rehabilitative activities and a nightly curfew from 6pm to 6am for eight weeks. He must pay £85 prosecution costs and a £154 statutory surcharge.

Beard asked to leave court after magistrates declared their sentence but before they finished warning him that he faced serving the six months if he broke the law again in the next 12 months. He said he wasn’t well and had to hurry to a chemist’s to get his methadone prescription.

Beard, 32, currently staying at the Changing Lives hostel for the homeless, pleaded guilty to two thefts from cars and three breaches of the CBO.

Martin Butterworth, prosecuting, said a resident in Hob Moor Drive, Acomb, spotted Beard using a torch inside a car that had been left unlocked on a driveway just after midnight on April 13. He stole four cans of beer and a waterproof coat.

Shortly after that Beard was spotted inside another unlocked car in Campbell Avenue, Holgate, again with a torch. This time he stole a candle, make-up and a birthday card. Because he was inside each car, his thefts broke the CBO. Both streets are also inside the area he cannot enter.

On April 19, Beard was seen in Front Street, Acomb which is also forbidden territory for him. He is banned from the area bounded by Holgate Road, Front Street, Green Lane, Foxwood Road, Askham Lane south of Foxwood Road, Moor Lane and the railway line between Moor Lane railway bridge and the Iron Bridge on Holgate Road.