‘Hedgehog-hunting’ thieves who stole solar panels from disabled woman spared jail

Tony Dean Davies, 33, and Stephen Burtenshaw, 54, have been spared time inside for a bizarre reason

Tony Dean Davies (West Mercia Police / SWNS)

Bungling thieves who stole solar panels from a disabled woman’s house were spared jail after a court heard they stumbled across them while hunting hedgehogs.

Tony Dean Davies, 33, and Stephen Burtenshaw, 54, loaded five panels onto a flat-bed van shortly after they had been delivered to the victim’s home.

The pair drove past the house in Pershore, Worcestershire, several times around 1am on June 28 before stealing the panels worth more than £3,000.

They were caught after an eagle-eyed neighbour became suspicious and spotted them driving away from the property.

Davies and Burtenshaw were arrested just 25 minutes later, but bizarrely claimed they had not intended to steal anything because they had been out “hedgehog hunting”.

The pair, both of Evesham, Worcestershire, admitted theft when they appeared at Worcester Magistrates’ Court last Monday (24/10).

Davies was handed a three-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) with a string of restrictions, including banning him from meeting Burtenshaw in public.

Burtenshaw was made subject to a community order and was placed on 12-week daily electronically monitored curfew between 9pm and 7am.

The court heard the victim had spent her life-savings on eight solar panels worth £5,000 that were waiting to be installed on her roof when the thieves struck.

Melanie Winterflood, prosecuting, said: “This was an offence that took place during the night-time, about 1.20am.

“A neighbour of the victim heard a noise, a van driving past several times which they thought was unusual.

“She saw two males getting out of the van and loading the panels into the back before driving off.

“There were eight solar panels being stored on pallets in front of the property. Five were removed and put into the van.

“Police found the van a short time later within the same area. The van was stopped at 1.45pm, just 25 minutes after the theft.

“They hadn’t got very far at all.”

The court heard the panels were found intact and were returned to the owner.

Miss Winterflood said: “The owner said she had spent her life savings on the panels. She is a registered disabled person.”

Andrew Wakeman, defending both Davies and Burtenshaw, said: “What they were going to do was go out hedgehog hunting.

“That was his [Burtenshaw’s] intention, to go out with Mr Davies. There was no intention to go out and steal any items.”

Burtenshaw was also ordered to pay £90 court costs and a victim surcharge of £114.

The CBO also means Davies is banned from carrying any scrap metal, entering any private property or land without the permission, climbing over any fences, gates or walls in order to enter onto land, sites or property or behave in any way that causes or is likely to cause, alarm harassment or distress.