Man jailed for attempted car jacking in Sunderland
A man's behind bars after an attempted car-jacking in Sunderland last month.
A man's behind bars after an attempted car-jacking in Sunderland last month.
On Tuesday, March 17, Regan King approached the vehicle, which was parked on Thompson Street, in Southwick, where he opened the door and spoke to the driver, claiming to be homeless.
When the driver of the car refused to interact with him, King insinuated he had a weapon concealed in his waistband – before demanding the driver exit the vehicle.
The quick-thinking driver exited the vehicle, taking the car keys with them.
King soon realised he was unable to drive the car without the car keys present and attempted to drag the driver back to the vehicle.
The disturbance caught the attention of two passers-by, who courageously came to the driver’s aid and chased King, putting a stop to the assault.
The driver of the vehicle was left shaken but unharmed following the incident.
In a panic, King thought it wise to seek refuge at nearby Southwick Police Station – dropping a hammer while en route.
When officers discovered the full facts of what had happened, the 22-year-old of no fixed abode, was swiftly arrested and later charged with assault.
King appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court last week where he was sentenced to a 10-week stint behind bars.
Detective Sergeant Julia Williams, of Sunderland’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said: “We take pride in our stations being a place of refuge for those in need of help, however in this instance, it was straight back to custody for King.
“Incidents of this nature are very rare and are not something we take lightly.
“Thanks to King’s naivety, he ran straight into the arms of the law, and we were able to take swift and robust action against him.”
She added: “Thank you to the passers-by who stepped in to help the driver of the vehicle.
“Without your help, this incident could have had a very different outcome.”