A High Wycombe car thief has been jailed and banned from driving for five years.

Valentine Constantin, 41, of West Wycombe Road, has been locked up for 16 weeks after he took a car without the consent of its owner in High Wycombe.

On New Years Day 2022, Constantin was in Eaton Avenue when he got in a VW Golf and drove off without the owner’s permission.

By doing so, Constantin drove whilst disqualified and drove without insurance.

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At Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on January 3, Constantin pleaded guilty to charges of taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to carry out a breath test.

The court heard how less than a month earlier, on December 14, Constantin was brought before the Magistrates in Wycombe for similar offences – driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to carry out a breath test.

For his repeat offending and failure to follow court orders, Constantin was sent to jail for 16 weeks and was also hit with a five-year driving ban.

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A note attached to the court listing said: “The offence was aggravated by being committed whilst subject to a community sentence, because the defendant has a flagrant disregard for court orders and because the offence was aggravated by the defendant's record of previous offending.”

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