Motorist caught in £26,000 stolen car he 'bought from a traveller for £6k'

'Cloned plates' aroused the suspicions of traffic police

- Sentinel Reporter

A DRIVER has been spared jail after he was caught behind the wheel of a stolen car.

Benjamin Prince was driving a stolen Toyota C-HR worth £26,000 in Liverpool Road, Newcastle, on January 26 last year when traffic police stopped him, a court heard.

Magistrates were told officers became suspicious when they discovered the car had cloned plates. Now the 42-year-old has been handed a suspended jail term after he admitted handling stolen goods.