Judge issues arrest warrant for man who failed to show up in court

A judge has issued an arrest warrant for a former Spalding man who failed to attend court after he admitted handling property stolen from a Boston garage.

Luke Stubbings, 24, was due to be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to handling tools and other equipment which were stolen during a burglary at the Boston MOT Centre in December last year.

The court heard tools and a BMW car were taken from the premises in Nelson Way, Boston, on 19 December.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said the break-in was discovered when the owner of the business attended work and found entry had been gained by smashing a front window.

The value of the stolen items was estimated at over £5,300.

Mr Howes said the burglary had a considerable impact on the business which was just recovering after two years bad years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theft of specialist tools meant some work could not be carried out by the garage or took much longer to complete.

Stubbings was arrested just a short time after the burglary at a property in South End, Boston, along with a second man, Jake Boyton, 32.

Judge John Pini QC told the hearing that although it could not be proved that either man was involved in the burglary, they were found with items stolen from the garage just a short time later.

Boyton, of Cranesgate North, Whaplode, St Catherine, has already received a two year jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to the handling offence and three unrelated charges.

The court heard Stubbings, who now lives in Derby, was granted bail and interviewed by the Probation Service after entering his guilty plea.

Nicholas Bleaney, defending Stubbings, said he could offer no explanation for why he failed to attend court to be sentenced.

Mr Bleaney told the court: “I have made repeated attempts to contact him by telephone.

“The best I can offer is that even if he had answered it may have been difficult to travel from Derby given the current train strike.”

Judge Pini issued an arrest warrant for Stubbings, not backed for bail.