Man sentenced after stealing £50,000 worth of plant machinery
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A man who stole £50,000 worth of plant machinery after being identified on CCTV footage has been sentenced.
Tyson Petch was stopped by officers on proactive rural crime patrols on the Cleveland/North Yorkshire border after believing his vehicle was displaying false plates.
The black Toyota Hilux pick-up truck was stopped on Great Ayton High Street on Friday 16th May 2025 where checks confirmed that the vehicle had been stolen in Kent on 5th April this year.
Both occupants, 28-year-old Tyson Petch from Guisborough and 33-year-old Liam Nash from Stokesley, were arrested and taken into custody in Middlesbrough.
Further enquiries found that a vehicle of the same description but with a different cloned registration plate was involved in the theft of a £50,000 excavator in Middlesbrough on 25th April.
After reviewing CCTV footage of the theft, officers were able to identify Petch and Nash as being responsible for stealing the excavator.
North Yorkshire Police also conducted a search of Nash’s property in Stokesley and discovered a number of cannabis plants.
Both men were charged with a number of offences and remanded in police custody after being interviewed by the Prisoner Handling Team.
On Monday 19th May, Petch pleaded guilty to theft of motor vehicle in relation to the excavator, handling stolen goods in relation to the Toyota, and driving without insurance.
He appeared at Teesside Crown Court on 16th June where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Nash pleaded guilty to theft in relation to the excavator and production of a Class B drug. He was sentenced to 36 weeks imprisonment for the theft and 12 weeks imprisonment for the production of Class B drugs at Teesside Magistrates’ Court. The sentences will run concurrently.
Sergeant Rory Sadler from Greater Eston's Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) said: "The theft of high value plant machinery has a huge detrimental impact on both construction businesses and rural communities alike.
“This sentencing shows the value of proactive policing and the importance of working closely with neighbouring forces to tackle crime being committed on our borders. I’d like to thank North Yorkshire Police for their assistance in this case.
“We will continue to patrol our neighbourhoods to tackle criminals and illegal vehicles, and I’d urge anyone with information to please contact us on 101. Every piece of information helps us to build intelligence and take action.”