A YOUTH arrested after a night of thefts committed with three other young men told magistrates of his desire to stay out of trouble in the future and learning to be a mechanic.

The 16-year-old from Swindon was given a referral order by youth magistrates on Tuesday after pleading guilty to three charges of theft and one of interfering with a car with the intention of stealing from it.

Prosecutor Nick Barr said all the offences happened on February 26. At 3.20am a woman was woken up by the sound of banging outside her house. She looked out of the window to see her mother’s car with the doors open and the interior light on. Two males were walking away and another was seen on a bike.

While her mother confirmed a Tom Tom sat nav and a Dubarry coat, together worth £270 had been stolen, her husband chased after the youths and saw them get into a taxi.

He managed to catch up with the youth, who cannot be named because he is under 18, who told him where the coat could be found. Police nearby were flagged down.

The boy admitted stealing two hedge trimmers, the sat nav, the coat and a bike as well as interfering with a Mitsubishi L200.

Magistrates heard the boy had been due in court with the other youths on August 15 but had not turned up. He admitted a failing to appear.

Mark Glendenning, defending, said it was unclear whose idea the thefts were and they did not know what they were going to do with their haul.

“He tells me that he is not in contact with the people that he was with that night. He has made a break with that offending.”

The youth told the bench: “I’m just trying to stay away from all the bad people and just really stay at home.” He explained that he was hoping to go to college in September to learn motor mechanics.

The magistrates revoked an existing referral order imposed in May for burglary and theft and replaced it with another order for 12 months including an instruction to do 24 hours of reparation and 10 hours at an attendance centre. He was also told to pay £20 towards victim services.