A THREE-man gang that staged a car stealing raid into North Yorkshire has been jailed for a total of six years and eight months.

Brothers Darren Tetley and Kiel Patrick James Tetley, along with their friend Cory McAvennie, also grabbed a wedding ring and purse they found in a car they didn’t steal, said Martin Robertshaw, prosecuting.

But police were on the lookout for the trio and caught them as they drove a convoy of two stolen cars from Whitley, south of Selby, along the A19 back towards their Doncaster area base in the early hours of April 2.

The thieves were driving so fast, officers had to use a “stinger” to stop them, said Mr Robertshaw. All the stolen items were returned to their owners.

Darren Tetley, 27, and Kiel Patrick James Tetley, 31, both of Mill House Caravan Site, Askern, on the A19 north of Doncaster, and McAvennie, 21, of Pembroke Avenue, Balby, Doncaster, all admitted stealing the purse and wedding ring from a car in Whitley.

The Tetleys admitted stealing an Insignia worth £15,000 from the same village and all three admitted stealing a Mercedes from Woodlands, Doncaster.

Kiel Tetley also admitted burgling a fishing tackle shop in Newcastle, for which he was on bail when he committed the car crimes. He was jailed for three years.

Darren Tetley, who was on two suspended prison sentences for burgling a ticket office at Doncaster Railway Station and for harassing his ex-partner by burning her garden furniture and vandalising electronic items and fittings at her home, was jailed for two years and two months, including an order to serve five months of the suspended prison sentences.

McAvennie was jailed for 18 months. He was on a community order when arrested in North Yorkshire. All three have long criminal records.

Lucy Brown, for Kiel Tetley, and Kirsten Mercer, for Darren Tetley, told York Crown Court their remand in custody had been their first proper taste of custody and it had been a wake-up call for them.

Emma Coverley, for McAvennie, said he had had a chaotic upbringing.