MEN who stole a quad bike from a farm near Bolton Abbey more than four years ago have been given suspended prison sentences by Skipton Magistrates.

The court heard the delay was due to difficulties getting one of the defendants' phone unlocked after he refused to reveal his PIN number.

But both of the accused lawyers argued that there was no excuse for the delay with one pressing for a conditional discharge for his client as he was now employed and had not offended in the intervening time.

Both men, from Bradford, were given suspended sentences with the chairman of the magistrates bench saying consideration had been given to the length of time their cases had taken to come to court.

Jordan Corry, 27, and Paul Mann, 32, entered a barn at a farm in Hazelwood Lane, Hazelwood, Bolton Abbey, on July 2, 2018, after first taking the door off its hinges, and stole a quad bike, heard the Skipton court on Friday.

The quad, which had been bought the year before for £3,500, was fitted with a tracker so police were able to locate it to Mann's address in Benbow Avenue, Bradford.

Police found it in a garage with a vehicle parked in front of it, preventing the door from being opened. The vehicle had been hired the day before, the court heard.

CCTV footage showed Corry driving the quad. He was standing across the road from the police cordon at Mann's home and was recognised by police.

On Mann's phone, investigators found messages and images of quads, including one very similar to the one stolen from Hazelwood. When the men were shown the phone data by police, they made admissions. The quad was returned to its owner.

Both Corry, of Beecroft Walk, Bradford, and Mann, of Benbow Avenue, admitted burglary in court.

In mitigation, Safter Salam, for Corry, said it had been four years and two months since the offence and he did not accept downloading the phone could take so long. It had been an 'unsophisticated' crime, he said, pointing out Corry had been across the road from the police cordon where the quad was found.

For Mann, Mo Hussain said: "I suspect the fact that the quad was recovered and it was done in the pandemic meant that it got lost in the system."

Between then and now, Mann's life had changed significantly, he said. He was now employed, had a child and had not offended in the last four years. The delay was 'significant mitigation' he added and his client ought to be given a conditional discharge.

"This has been hanging over these young men's heads all this time, " he said.

The magistrates bench chairman acknowledged there had been a delay and that had been taken into account, along with the guilty pleas, had been taken into account.

Corry was sentenced to three months custody, suspended for 12 months. There was no order for costs but he will have to pay a £115 surcharge.

Mann was sentenced to eight weeks, suspended for 12 months, with a £115 surcharge.