A DRIVER who helped a gang during organised raids on second-hand car dealers has been spared jail because his case has taken three years to come to court.
More than £100,000 worth of high-end used cars were stolen in the raids in November 2017 and January 2018 but Holland was only summonsed in March this year because of delays in the investigation.
The four cars stolen in the first raid at Swains Car Centre in Exeter have never been traced while the six taken during the second raid at the Morchard Road Garage in Crediton have all been recovered.
The delays occurred because police have been trying to catch the other members of the gang, find the missing cars, and needed to secure more forensic evidence before they charged Holland.
The further sweep identified a second man, Jason Robins, whose DNA was found on a wire that was used in the theft of one car.
Holland (31), of Torquay, admitted burglary at Morchard Road Garage and taking a VW Golf that was stolen in the Swains raid without consent.
Robins (29), of Torquay, admitted attempting to take a Ford Ranger which was stolen in the Crediton raid without consent.
Holland was jailed for 18 months, suspended for a year and Robins was ordered to do 70 hours unpaid work by Judge Timothy Rose at Exeter Crown Court.
He told Holland: "This was undoubtedly a serious matter, and frankly quite a professional crime, which quite obviously involved a gang or a group. No doubt if I had dealt with you sooner, I would have sent you to prison.”
Mr Ali Rafati, prosecuting, said Holland helped in the first burglary at Swains by driving one of the stolen cars shortly after the raid. His fingerprint was found on a cheque for £50 worth of petrol for the £10,000 VW Golf at a garage on Haldon Hill.
He said he was part of the group which took the cars at the Morchard Road Garage and his fingerprint was found on the light switch of a second Golf. Robins DNA was found on hot wires on a Ford Ranger.
The cars taken at Swains had a total value of £37,000 and those from Morchard Road were on sale for a total of £63,135.
Mr Paul Dentith, for Holland, said he had not been involved directly in the Crediton burglary but waited outside and drove the car away.
He said that in the three years since the offences he has changed his way of life, settled down and found a job and all that progress would be lost if he went to jail.
Miss Emily Pitts, for Robins, said he has also been working with the probation service under a community order imposed for other offences. He also has a positive report which suggests the work should continue.
Court Reporter