The two stolen caravans ‘disappeared’ into thin air after he used his employer’s vehicle to move them
A crafty lorry driver brazenly stole two valuable caravans from storage compounds by managing to persuade the security guards on duty at the sites that he was there for genuine reasons – and had come to collect the caravans for his bosses. Adam Batty arrived with his company’s lorry and a trailer on two separate occasions and fast-talked his way into fooling the guards.
He made them think that “everything was fine” before shamelessly loading the caravans onto the transporter and driving off. The two stolen caravans “disappeared” into thin air and were “never recovered” after the lucrative “high-level financial crime” thefts, Hull Crown Court heard.
Batty, 34, of Chapel Garth, Ottringham, Holderness, but recently in custody on remand, admitted stealing a Victory Lockwood caravan, valued at £50,000, belonging to J R Rix and Sons, on November 26, 2021. He also admitted stealing a Beaumont caravan, valued at £43,000, belonging to ABI UK Ltd, between December 9 and 10, 2021.
Harry Bradford, prosecuting, said that Batty was part of a three-man operation for the thefts, with him driving his employer’s Scania lorry cab unit and a trailer. In the first theft, Batty went to a caravan compound in the Hull area, spoke to a security guard and claimed that he had come to pick up a caravan.
He loaded the 38ft caravan onto the trailer. Caravan company workers later went to the site and realised that the caravan had been taken. “The caravan was never recovered,” said Mr Bradford.
Batty had quickly disposed of the stolen caravan to unknown people and he took the lorry cab back to his employer’s premises – but without the trailer. “There was a breach of a high degree of trust and responsibility,” said Mr Bradford.
A few weeks later, Batty stole a second caravan in similar circumstances from a site in the Brandesburton area. He turned up there with his accomplices at about midnight and again spoke to a security guard.
He persuaded the guard that he was entitled to take the 42ft caravan and he gave false details about himself and the vehicle’s identity. The caravan was loaded onto a transporter and taken by Batty to near Farnham in Surrey – with an escort vehicle to help during the journey.
The caravan was never recovered. Batty later claimed that the caravans were sold to travellers and that he was paid £5,000 for each caravan, the court heard. He had convictions for 28 previous offences, six of them for theft-related matters.
Deputy circuit judge Timothy Clayson said that Batty’s employers had, because of the thefts, lost contracts for the two companies involved. “The caravans have disappeared,” he said.
Batty was trusted by his employers but he “went right behind their backs” and used the transportation company as “something of a front” to carry out the thefts. He managed to convince the security guards at the sites that “everything was fine”.
Batty made a “terrible decision” to abuse the relationship between himself and his employers by misusing a “valuable” company vehicle to carry out the caravan thefts. There had been a four-year delay in bringing the case and, since then, Batty had proved that he could “live a crime-free life”.
It was “high-level financial crime” committed at a time when Batty had difficulties. “You are old enough to know better now,” said the deputy circuit judge.
Connor Stuart, mitigating, said that Batty was a lorry driver and a job was still open to him, despite him being in custody since December 15. He failed to attend a previous hearing and was arrested on a warrant and brought to court in custody. The spell in custody had served to “focus his mind”.
Batty was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 240 hours’ unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £10,000 compensation – £5,000 for each caravan.
Source – Hull mail
