Carjacker who hid under lorry sent to jail

Ryan Doyle appeared before a Bolton Crown Court judge charged with robbing James Church of a Vauxhall Corsa in Leigh on March 26, failing to stop at the scene of an accident on Astley Street when a Vauxhall Insignia was damaged.

Doyle, 25, of Commissioner Square, Warrington, was also accused of committing a licence offence and of having no insurance.

He pleaded guilty to all four charges and has now been given a three-year jail sentence for robbery.

The hearing was told that on the evening of March 26 last year Mr Church went into Mallets’ Off-Licence on Coronation Drive in Leigh and left his Corsa outside locked.

Doyle came in to be served but, due to social distancing, had to wait outside as the shopkeeper was allowing only two customers in the store at one time.

The victim left and went to another off-licence on the same row before making his way back to his parked vehicle at around 6.55pm.

He noticed that the defendant was now standing at the rear of his vehicle with another man on crutches.

Prosecutors said Mr Thorpe opened the driver’s door at which point Doyle grabbed him from behind and demanded his car keys.

In the struggle the motorist dropped his keys.

“Eventually the defendant finally let go and picked up the car keys before getting in and driving off.

Mr Thorpe went back into the off-licence to discover the shopkeeper had already contacted the police.

Police responded to reports of the stolen vehicle. It was located and during the search of a plumbing merchant’s yard, Doyle was located under an HGV and arrested.

It later turned out that Doyle had crashed into another car while driving the stolen Corsa but carried on driving.

As well as his prison sentence, Doyle was banned from driving for three years.

He had also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance or a licence but no separate punishment was given for these offences.

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