Teen Joy Rider Brought To Justice

A teenager who took his stepdad’s BMW before driving dangerously and crashing it into a hedge has been brought to justice.

Robbie Aird, 19, drove the black BMW 3 series off the driveway of his mother’s home at just after 11pm on 23 August last year.

A hunt to find the BMW began and officers discovered Aird was driving between Chatteris and Warboys.

Following a search of the area, officers found the car on its roof in an eight-foot ditch with the air bags deployed at just before 1am.

The car was empty and officers began searching for the occupants, but paramedics were then called about two injured people in a house nearby claiming they had been in a collision.

Officers found Aird with his girlfriend at a house just 50 yards from the collision – both covered in blood and soaking wet.

They were taken to hospital as a precaution and Aird was then arrested. Shortly before his arrest he admitted to being the driver of the BMW when it crashed - claiming to have lost control of the rear tyres.  

In interview he also admitted taking a vehicle without consent in a previous incident when he took his mother’s white Range Rover from the same driveway at just before 1am on 28 July last year.

On this occasion Aird drove on the A14 towards Cambridge to pick up some friends, stopping at Swavesey services.

While at the services, he allowed three friends to drive the car and the group then drove to Cambridge, each taking it in turns to get behind the wheel. The Range Rover was later returned without any damage.

Aird, of Ridgeway, Eynesbury, St Neots, admitted taking both cars and told officers he didn’t have a full driving licence or insurance.

He also described driving the BMW at speeds of more than 155mph on at least one occasion as well as doing “doughnuts” in a car park.

At Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on 24 February, Aird admitted aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and taking a motor vehicle without consent.

He was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court yesterday (11 October) where he was handed 10 months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to complete 125 hours of unpaid work and a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

DC Kieran Wickens, who investigated, said: “Aird may have thought taking these vehicles was just a bit of fun, but the simple fact is he put other people’s lives at risk.

“Behaviour like this won’t be tolerated and I hope he now takes some time to reflect on his actions and thinks twice before offending again.”

For advice and information about how to keep your car safe, visit the force’s dedicated web page.