…By Alan Peterson for TDPel Media.
A man with a lengthy history of car thefts has once again stolen a vehicle, only to crash it into two parked cars and a garden wall hours later, a court has heard.
Ricky Davies, who has accumulated 98 previous offenses, abandoned the stolen car only after sturdy railings alongside a mobility ramp prevented it from colliding with a nearby house.
Despite fleeing the scene, Davies was identified through blood and saliva left on the crashed vehicle’s airbag.
During the hearing at Swansea Crown Court, it was revealed that Davies has spent the past 23 years either in prison, on parole, or serving community orders.
Hannah George, the prosecutor, stated that on the morning of February 20, 2021, the owner of a Honda Civic in Mendip Close, Swansea, discovered that his vehicle had been stolen from outside his house.
Later that day, the stolen car collided with two parked cars on Heol Trefor in Penlan, causing irreparable damage, before crashing through a garden wall.
George explained that the Honda eventually came to a halt on a mobility ramp outside a house, saved from further damage by the railings present.
Witnesses reported seeing the driver of the Civic fleeing the scene toward Penlan Leisure Centre.
Subsequently, blood and saliva samples recovered from the deployed airbag of the crashed car matched those of 35-year-old Davies.
It’s worth noting that South Wales Police’s advanced forensic lab played a role in analyzing the samples.
Davies was not interviewed until September 2021, while being held on remand at HMP Swansea for possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage charges relating to a separate incident.
During the interview, he chose to answer “no comment” to all questions asked.
The prosecutor acknowledged that the court would likely seek an explanation for the case’s delay and provided details regarding the forensic evidence’s availability to the police in July 2021.
However, difficulties accessing Swansea Prison caused the interview to be postponed until September.
The case file was subsequently sent to the Crown Prosecution Service in March 2022 for a charging decision.
However, it was returned to the Swansea police with an action plan for further work, resulting in resubmission in November.
The CPS authorized charging on December 22, 2022, and the defendant was charged via a postal requisition letter on January 23 of this year.
Ricky Davies, now residing in Graig Road, Morriston, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking during his court appearance.
His extensive criminal record includes 47 previous convictions for a total of 98 offenses, with 47 relating to theft and similar matters.
Most of his convictions over the past 23 years have involved taking vehicles without consent, commonly known as TWOCing, or the aggravated form of the offense.
Giles Hayes, Davies’ advocate, attributed his client’s actions to a chaotic lifestyle and homelessness at the time of the offense.
Davies reportedly relied on substance abuse as a coping mechanism.
However, since his release from his last custodial sentence in August of the previous year, Davies has moved away from his birthplace and grown-up area of Penlan.
He now resides with a friend in another part of Swansea, is free from drugs and alcohol, and has gained clarity about his life.
Addressing Davies, Judge Paul Thomas KC noted that he had once again stolen someone’s car, crashed it, and fled the chaotic scene.
The judge presented Davies with two possible paths for his future: to continue the progress he had made since the previous summer or to revert to his previous behavior.
After a trial, the judge determined that the appropriate sentence on the guidelines was 12 months in prison, reduced to nine months due to the guilty pleas.
However, considering the unacceptable delay in the case and the evidence of positive personal development presented, the judge decided to suspend the sentence.
Davies received a suspended sentence of nine months in prison for 18 months, accompanied by a rehabilitation course and mental health treatment requirement.
Judge Thomas acknowledged that the people of Penlan were likely relieved that Davies had relocated and expressed hope that successful completion of the mental health requirement would prevent him from being a menace to the community.