A BEDWORTH man has been jailed for charges related to assault, theft, drugs, and weapons.
On Sunday, April 2 2023 at around midnight, the owner of a Ford Focus on Northbourne Drive arrived home to find it was missing.
They also found several tools worth around £900 were missing from their other vehicle, along with the keys.
A few hours earlier, at 10.33am on Bulkington Road in Bedworth, a Ford Focus was found crashed into the side of a house – the same car that was missing from Northbourne Drive.
The man whose house had been crashed into awoke to his neighbour restraining Dean Brooks.
Brooks, 43, from Sadler Gardens in Bedworth was arrested shortly afterwards by attending police officers.
Police discovered two sets of car keys in his pocket matching the cars from Northbourne Drive.
Brooks, while being arrested, shouted a series of racial slurs, although attending officers weren’t sure who he was shouting them at.
He later said in interview he had been drinking since the day before, and a search of Brooks turned up crack cocaine.
After being taken into custody it was believed Brooks overdosed, so he was transported to hospital.
He kicked the officer in the head while lying in the hospital bed, leading to the officer feeling dizzy and resulting in a headache.
After this, Brooks was charged with possession of crack cocaine.
He was also charged with assaulting a police officer, aggravated vehicle taking, property damage of over £5,000, and handling stolen goods.
On July 10, 2023, a woman on Watitune Avenue in Weddington awoke at 6:15am to find she, too, was now missing a car from her driveway – a Seat Tarraco.
Several items of jewellery were also missing, as well as alcohol, bank cards, and clothes.
In total, £18,000 worth of items were taken, not including the vehicle.
Later analysis of CCTV and smart doorbell footage from the nearby area showed two men trying the doors to cars, vans, and properties.
In Coventry at around midday, officers from West Midlands Police were out on patrol when they discovered a Seat Tarraco in a car park on Pandora Road with three men standing beside it.
One of the men jumped into a car and fled the scene after seeing them approach.
The other two, including Brooks, got back into the car, with Brooks attempting to start the engine as the officers blocked them in.
After it was confirmed the car was stolen, Brooks and his associate were arrested.
Brooks was searched and the officers found multiple items of jewellery and clothing, which were a match for missing items from Watitune Avenue.
He also had wraps of crack and heroin on him, as well as a throwing star.
A later search of Brooks’ Sadler Gardens house uncovered further items missing from Watitune Avenue.
Brooks later tried to claim in interview he believed the car had been legally owned, and they had only taken a drive to Coventry to pick up a takeaway.
He also said he did not remember putting the throwing star in his pocket.
This incident resulted in charges of handling stolen goods, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, possession of cocaine, and possession of heroin.
Brooks was sentenced in Warwick Crown Court on January 30.
As well as a prison sentence of three years and 11 months, Brooks is required to pay a victims’ surcharge of £228 and has been disqualified from driving for 30 months.
