Little Horton thief is jailed for taking ill Baildon tot’s car

The Rover Streetwise belonging to Louise Frantzich and her husband Herman was taken from the driveway of their home in Midland Road, Baildon, on December 28 last year.

It was later recovered, but the equipment for their two-year-old daughter Audrey, which was worth several hundred pounds and included a special car seat, buggy and chair and an oxygen canister to help her, were never found.

James Metcalfe, 24, of Greaves Street, Little Horton, Bradford, pleaded to aggravated taking without consent, driving while disqualified and with no licence and no insurance.

He was jailed for 12 months by a judge at Bradford Crown Court, who also ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £100 and banned him from driving for 30 months.

After the case Mrs Frantzich said Metcalfe had caused a huge amount of distress when he took the vehicle during the Christmas holiday.

“I think it’s a fair sentence really, not just for committing the crime, but for everything he’s put us through. All the stress and upset and everything else for all three of use,” Mrs Frantzich, 28, said.

“He ruined our Christmas. We weren’t able to go out. It caused a lot of stress replacing things.

“We didn’t need to go through that for someone having some fun and stealing our car.”

The couple’s daughter has a rare genetic condition which affects her ability to sit up, walk, speak, hear and eat. She is constantly hooked up to a supply of oxygen and is fed through a tube into her stomach.

Last week the parents suffered more anguish when the same car was vandalised when someone threw white paint across it.

Mrs Frantzich was so upset she questioned whether the family should move to avoid becoming falling victim to any further attacks.

A police spokesman said inquiries were continuing into the vandalism which happened between 10pm on Thursday, February 13, and Friday, February 14.

Witnesses should call Shipley Neighbourhood Policing Team on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.