Solar panel Tony Davies hit with criminal behaviour order

Tony Dean Davies, 33, of Rynal Place, Evesham has been made subject to a three-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) after he stole solar panels from a house in Pershore.

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The CBO was granted on Monday, October 24 following convictions for theft of solar panels from a property in Pershore and theft of car battery from a property in Bretforton, near Evesham.

We have previously reported how thieves including Davies stole £3,000 of solar panels from outside a disabled woman's home in the dead of night, claiming they had been out 'hedgehog hunting'.

Stephen Burtenshaw and Tony Davies loaded the panels, which had yet to be installed, into a flat-bed van but were spotted by a neighbour in Pershore.

Burtenshaw of Hemmingway, Evesham admitted the theft which took place on June 28 this year. He and Davies appeared before magistrates in Worcester in August.

Melanie Winterflood, prosecuting, said the eight panels were worth £5,000 - but that the pair stole five of them, worth £3,125.

Miss Winterflood: "This was an offence that took place during the night-time, about 1.20am. A neighbour of the victim heard a noise, a van driving past several times which they thought was unusual."

The neighbour saw two males getting out of the van and loading the panels into the back before driving off.

Police found the van 'a short time later within the same area'. The van was stopped at 1.45pm, just 25 minutes after the theft.

The solar panels were found intact and were 'returned to the owner in a short space of time'. In a victim personal statement, the owner of the panel said she had 'spent her life savings on the solar panels'.

"She is a registered disabled person" said Miss Winterflood.

Andrew Wakeman, defending both men, said: "What they were going to do was go out hedgehog hunting. That was his intention, to go out with Mr Davis. There was no intention to go out and steal any items."

Burtenshaw was made subject to a community order and was placed on 12 week daily electronically monitored curfew between 9pm and 7am.

He was also ordered to make a contribution to costs of £90 and a victim surcharge of £114 which will be consolidated with his other court debts which are being deducted from his benefits. 

The CBO means Davies is prohibited from: being with others including 54-year-old Stephen Burtenshaw in any public place; carrying any scrap metal in any vehicle or being in a vehicle carrying scrap metal where there is no license held to carry scrap metal, by any parties present; entering any business, commercial or retail premises or the land/area forming part of the premises after opening hours save for when prior permission has been granted by the owner, occupier or landowner.

He is further banned from: entering any private property or land without the permission, invitation or retrospective agreement of the occupant, owner or landowner; climbing over any fences, gates or walls in order to enter onto land, sites or property; behaving in any way that causes or is likely to cause, alarm harassment or distress.

Further to this, he is required to keep records and receipts proving purchase of any goods that he is transporting, including the date and time of purchase.