A drunken thief was caught red-handed when he broke his ankle trying to steal a holiday maker’s bike from the roof of a car.
Phillip Savage fractured his ankle when the bike he was trying to pinch came crashing down on top of him.
The prolific thief, formerly of Ellesmere Port, was found by a shocked holiday maker on the ground outside his caravan at Chester Fairoaks Caravan Club, in Little Stanney at 3.40am yesterday (Tuesday).
Surprised camper Ian Taylor was woken by a “loud crashing” and found the 43-year-old sprawling on the ground in agony - his bike had been pulled from the roof racks.
Savage attempted to take the bike to ride back to his mum’s house in Minto Close in Liverpool after missing the train - just hours after being released from custody for a public order offence.
But when the camper found him, the thief claimed he had been chasing a group of youths who had stolen the bike and had broken his ankle in the process.
Savage, who now has his leg plastered and is confined to a wheelchair, pleaded not guilty to the offence of interfering with the Volvo C70 - but had a change of heart when magistrates refused bail and changed his plea to guilty.
The thief, who is due to have surgery on his leg in two weeks time, said he wanted to get the sentence “out of the way” as he was in so much pain from his injury.
Appearing by video link Savage, who has a long record of previous conditions for similar offences, shouted out in pain as he tried to move his leg before saying he wanted to change his plea.
“He is clearly in a large amount of pain,” said Stephen Ferns defending.
Savage was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment during a hearing at Chester Magistrates Court today (Wednesday) for the offence at the caravan site close to the M53 and Cheshire Oaks.
