Bradford Batman pal pleads guilty over stolen cheque (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford Batman hangs up costume as he accompanies friend to magistrates

8:53pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News By Kathie Griffiths, T&A Reporter

Bradford Batman Stan Worby appears to have hung up his super-hero suit for good.

The 39-year-old Chinese takeaway delivery man made the startling revelation to waiting media yesterday after the friend he handed into police, grabbing world-wide headlines, pleaded guilty to handling and trying to use a stolen cheque.

Bradford and Keighley magistrates heard how 27-year-old Daniel Frayne, previously of Queen Street, Buttershaw, and now living with his grandmother in Cleethorpes, claimed he had found the cheque scattered with others on the ground in Wyke.

The cheques had belonged to a cheque book stolen, among other goods, during a burglary at the premises of A K Autos and Abbey Private Hire in Bradford.

Crown prosecutor Paul Ramsey said penniless Frayne had gone into a cheque centre in the city and tried to cash one of the cheques for £300 claiming it was his wages – he produced his own passport to prove his identity.

Mr Ramsey said counter staff noticed he was agitated and carried out a security check and when they told him it was stolen he responded: “How am I supposed to get my wages now?” and walked out of the shop.

Because he had been on CCTV and produced his passport, he was later interviewed, arrested and charged by police on suspicion of handling stolen goods and fraud-related offences.

He already had 49 offences on his record, 14 of which are for theft and dishonesty. He has also twice breached a community order, magistrates were told.

Kam Dhesi, defending, said: “It was a foolish attempt to get some money”, and asked for Frayne, who had gone to the police station as soon as it became clear they were looking for him, to be given credit for his guilty pleas.

He said his client had now moved away from Bradford to live with his grandmother “to try to add positive aspects to his life” and added: “His grandmother is the driving force to try to get him to lead a law-abiding life.”

Chairman of the bench, Beryl Eakin, warned Frayne he could now face prison and adjourned the case until Monday, April 8 for a full pre-sentence report.

Frayne’s friend Mr Worby sat at the back of court dressed down for this appearance, swapping his Caped Crusader look for jogging bottoms, trainers and a t-shirt with the word Wanted across it.

He had attracted global media attention after he went with Frayne to Bradford’s main police station dressed as the superhero after he got back from Bradford City’s failed bid to win the Capital one Cup Final at Wembley, almost a fortnight ago.

He had been captured on CCTV in the station’s foyer wearing the full batman outfit which triggered a mass media hunt to reveal his true identity.

When quizzed to the whereabouts of his batman suit on the way out of court yesterday, he replied: “I’ve put it away.”