Joyriding pair spared prison
8:00pm Friday 19th October 2012 in News
Two teenage Olympic volunteers avoided jail after burgling a house to steal car keys so they could drive home.
Jack Haney and Stephen Kennedy wanted to grab the keys to save them having to walk the seven miles from Calne to Chippenham in the early hours of the morning.
But the 19-year-olds, who worked as volunteers at the London Olympics, were caught when they took the Saab convertible out for a joyride the following day.
The pair had been at a friend’s house in Calne when they tried to get a lift from Kennedy’s mum, who is a taxi driver, early on August 12.
When they could not contact her by phone they initially joked they should try front doors to see if anyone had left one open.
As they walked along Woodland Park, Haney found a house that was unlocked and went inside to grab the keys to the car as well as the householder’s wallet.
Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said the householders reported the thefts when they woke in the morning.
Just before midnight the same day, police on the edge of Chippenham spotted the car and pulled it over, finding Haney behind the wheel and Kennedy his passenger.
The pair, who live together in Downing Street, Chippen-ham, admitted burglary, taking a car without consent, and not having a licence or insurance.
Kevin Farquharson, for Haney, said his client ‘fully accepts the utterly reprehensible behaviour’. He said although his client was now out of work, he had worked at an egg production plant.
During the summer, he said, Haney worked at the Olympics on the triathlon and volleyball and now wants to join the Army.
Alex Daymond, for Kennedy, said his client had also worked at the Olympics and was unemployed. He said: “He accepts he behaved like a complete idiot.”
Recorder Michael Vere-Hodge QC said because of their age and lack of previous convictions, he could avoid jailing them. Both were put on one year community orders with supervision and 40 hours of unpaid work.
Haney was also ordered to attend ten sessions of education and training.
