A THIEF who stole bikes and cycle parts from several York city centre streets has been jailed for 18 months on his ‘day of reckoning’ in court.

A judge at York Crown Court told Richard Sampson that York was a cycling city, whose inhabitants, including students and others, relied on their bikes for transport.

The Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Batty QC, said Sampson had an ‘appalling criminal record,’ and he had been given a fine opportunity to turn a corner when he had previously been given a suspended prison sentence.

York Press:

“But your engagement with the probation service has been, to say the least, sporadic,” he said.

“Going equipped for the theft of high value bikes is extremely serious. This is your day of reckoning.”

Sampson, 37, of Pottery Lane, had pleaded guilty at magistrates court on an earlier occasion of offences including two bike thefts, the attempted theft of a bike, going equipped with a bolt cropper and assaulting a police community support officer.

Danielle Graham, prosecuting, said he had 30 previous convictions for 103 offences and had stolen bikes or bike parts from streets including St Andrewgate, Piccadilly and Walmgate.

She said that when a PCSO tried to apprehend him, he had assaulted the officer and made his escape.

Mark Partridge said in mitigation that Sampson had no explanation for the fresh offences but should be given credit for his guilty pleas. The assault had not caused injuries and arose from a desire to get away.

Judge Batty said he could see no reason not to activate an eight-month suspended prison sentence and imposed two other five month sentences, making a total of 18 months.

*Sampson has previously been convicted of offences including a brutal and unprovoked attack on an innocent passer-by in a York street and staging a violent rooftop bid to avoid going back to prison after breaking a curfew at a probation hostel.