Facebook plea over King's Lynn tools theft successful, court told

A Facebook appeal over £2,000 worth of hand tools which had been stolen from a flatbed lorry

parked on Hardwick Industrial Estate in Lynn was successful.

One of the two thieves had second thoughts about the act and arranged for them to be returned,

King's Lynn Magistrates’ Court was told on Monday.

Callum Martin Smales and Dean Jamie Carl Yallop were jointly charged over the incident overnight on November 26.

Prosecuting, Jane Walker said a black vehicle had been seen acting suspiciously at 9.30pm in Venus Court. Just after midnight two men removed items from a lorry parked at Advanced Engineering.

When the tools' owner noticed they were missing in the morning, he used a Facebook post to ask for any information.

“Within a few hours that day the tools had been offered for sale to a garage in Sutton Bridge,” said Miss Walker.

The owner then received a message to say he could collect the items, which he did.

Yallop and Smales were arrested. Yallop, 30, confirmed that he had contacted the owner via

Facebook.

Both pleaded guilty to theft from a motor vehicle.

Mitigating for both defendants, Tiffany Meredith said Yallop had been asked by Smales to help with

the theft as he had a car.

“He got home and thought better of it,” she said. “He got his partner to go on Facebook and

message the man. He knew nothing about the items being for sale.

“While Mr Yallop is sorry and regretful, he did do what he could immediately to rectify the

situation.”

Miss Meredith said Smales, 28, was “pretty much the driver” for the offence and the two men were no longer friends.

“It’s not something he’s done before or something he is going to make a habit of,” she added.

Smales, of Metcalf Avenue, was sentenced to 80 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge. He was also given 40 hours’ unpaid work for breaching a 12-week suspended prison sentence, which was not activated.

Yallop, of Beulah Street, was fined £180 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge.