Leicester man Kyle Ross, 20, jailed for part in putting fake plates on stolen cars

A man involved in putting false registration plates on cars after they were stolen during house burglaries has been jailed for three years and four months.

Kyle Ross arranged for three vehicles which had been taken from driveways to receive new plates.

Sentencing him at Leicester Crown Court, Recorder Keith Raynor told the 20-year-old: "You were facilitating new identities for the cars as part of a group.

"It was professional and reasonably well organised."

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Ross, of Winton Avenue, off Narborough Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to handling an Audi A3 worth £1,000 after it was taken during a burglary in Evesham Road, Leicester, on September 14, 2011.

The car keys were taken from inside the property and the vehicle driven away.

Ross also admitted involvement in a burglary in St Mary's Avenue, Braunstone Town, when two Minis, worth £11,000 and £6,500, were stolen, on September 27, 2011.

Ross further admitted possessing a prohibited item, a CS gas canister, recovered from his home when he was arrested in November 2011.

Jonathan Cox, prosecuting, said both homes were targeted because of the cars outside and were broken into while the occupants were asleep.

He said the stolen Audi and the £6,500 Mini were later found bearing false registration plates. The other Mini was not recovered.

Mr Cox said incriminating text messages were found on Ross's mobile phone, asking an associate to get false plates.

He said: "The defendant was involved in obtaining cloned identities for them."

Ross had no previous convictions, the court was told.

Louise McManus, mitigating, said Ross accepted being at a friend's home near to the scene of the St Mary's Avenue burglary and knew what others intended doing, but did not go into the house.

She said: "He was there when his friends were planning the offence and he facilitated matters by sending a text in relation to the car number plates."

The defendant's brother had been jailed a few days earlier in relation to similar offences.

Miss McManus said he was "stepping into the role" of his brother.

She said: "He felt a degree of pressure and coercion."

Recorder Raynor said that although Ross was not the ringleader "he accepts he was part of a joint enterprise."

Miss McManus said: "His involvement spanned a couple of days. He wasn't part of a regular outlet for stolen vehicles, it was a one-off episode.

"He lacked the maturity to realise the severity of his actions by facilitating the plates."