Worksop man stole classic cars and sold them for scrap at a fraction of value

Shane Frost took a silver C Class Mercedes Kompressor Estate, valued at £4,000, and a blue Mercedes convertible, valued at £12,000, on April 29 last year.

Lucy Woodcock, prosecuting, said the cars, which were taken from Abbeymoor Nursing Home, on Sherwood Road, Worksop, belonged to the current owner of the home.

"They are classic cars and they had great sentimental value and had been passed down through the family," she said.

Frost, aged 28, sold them for scrap but was traced after two receipts were recovered from the scrap merchant.

Chris Perry, mitigating, said Frost was paid around £1,300 for both vehicles.

"He did not see the value in the cars," he said. "The financial gain was derisory."

He said Frost, who is the main carer for his son, 'closed his eyes to what was obvious' but the probation service have offered to help him.

He is currently unemployed and unlikely to be able to pay the full amount of the compensation, Mr Perry said. But he deserved full credit for his early guilty plea and cooperation with the police.

Frost, of Cheapside, Worksop, admitted two counts of theft when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Tuesday.

He received a 12 month community order with 31 rehabiitation days to address his thinking skills and was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation but no costs were awarded because of his limited means.