THE driver of a crashed car carrying cans of stolen diesel was identified from DNA on the inflated airbag, a court heard.

Michael Ingham, 25, and Ryan Holmes, 21, both admitted two charges of handling stolen diesel taken from two service stations in Cross Hills, Keighley, on February 9.

The court heard a Citroen Xsara was seen pulling into the BP Service Station in Station Road and the Co-op in Skipton Road before a man filled cans of diesel through the car window.

On both occasions, the car was driven off without payment being made, but notes were made by the cashiers of the registration number.

The Citroen then crashed just half a mile away, and Ingham and Holmes were spotted by police thumbing a lift, the court was told.

Prosecuting, Martin Butterworth, said the stolen diesel was found in the car and returned to the petrol stations and DNA from the airbag matched one of the men.

He said both men had recently served prison sentences for dishonesty.

In mitigation, Paul Milner, said both men accepted they were in the car in which there was diesel fuel that had been stolen, and that DNA on the airbag indicated that Holmes was the driver at the time.

Ingham, he said had been sentenced to four months in prison, and that the Cross Hills incident had come before. He had a drugs problem at the time, which had led him into offending, but since coming out of prison and with the help of supervision, he had been out of trouble.

Holmes, he said had also served time in prison and after being released last summer, was on licence.

Ingham, of Lidget Place, and Holmes, of Cemetery Road, Lidget Green, were both given a 12 month conditional discharge, with magistrates warning them that any further offences in the next year could see them back in court and being resentenced.

They will each also have to pay costs of £85 and surcharge of £15.

MORE TOP STORIES