Thetford man jailed and Wisbech man sentenced after stealing Mercedes in Breckland

Two men have been sentenced after stealing a car in Norfolk.

The pair used a signal relay device to take the Mercedes S Class from a driveway at 2.30am on April 7, but the noise of the engine starting alerted the owner - who called police on 999.

The car was stopped just 12 minutes later in Necton when officers found the passenger still wearing a balaclava, with the signal relay device in the footwell and a GPS jammer device still transmitting.

The two men were arrested at the scene and charged later that day.

Mindaugas Grizas, 36, of no fixed address in Thetford, and Lukas Zvirgzdys, 18, of Hillburn Road in Wisbech, were both charged with stealing the car and using apparatus for the purpose of interfering with wireless telegraphy.

Grizas was also charged with driving without insurance and driving while disqualified.

Both were remanded in custody and appeared at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on April 8, where they pleaded guilty. They then appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentencing today.

Grizas was sentenced to 16 months in jail handed a 24-month driving disqualification.

Zvirgzdys was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.

Sergeant Gary Morris, of the Breckland District Crime Unit, said: “This is a timely reminder to take simple steps to keep your vehicle safe.

“The easiest thing to do if you have ‘keyless’ technology is to buy a faraday box or pouch which you can get cheaply and easily online.

“This blocks the signal from the keys meaning it can not be picked up by a relay device outside your home.”