Luton car thief jailed after attacking police officers

Ian Filmer-Haynes, 28, of Green Close, pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle and three counts of assaulting a police officer in connection to the events on March 18.

The victim was asleep at his home when he was woken up by the sound of someone starting up his sports car. He then looked outside and saw his car, which was parked outside, being driven away.

He immediately alerted the police about the theft, and they used a tracking system to quickly locate the stolen vehicle on the opposite side of town.

Officers found the car and two men in the vicinity.

After police searched nearby they found the car keys and the house key from the targeted property.

After being arrested and transported to a police station, Filmer-Haynes became aggressive towards officers and assaulted them at the custody desk.

Detectives established that both Filmer-Haynes and another man were seen on the CCTV stealing the vehicle in question.

Hayes was sentenced to a 16 month prison sentence for theft and seven months for assaulting an emergency worker, to run consecutively. He was also given seven month sentences for each of the further two assaults, to run concurrently.

Dayne Brimble, 30, also from Luton, pleaded guilty to burglary in connection to the same offence and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in July 2020.

DC Andy Boston, from Bedfordshire Police’s dedicated Operation Maze burglary team, said: “Filmer-Haynes and his partner in crime Brimble were seen on the home’s CCTV using the stolen keys and driving away in the victim’s car.

“They were arrested shortly afterwards near the stolen car, wearing the same clothes they were wearing on camera.

“Filmer-Haynes could not accept that he had been caught red handed, and assaulted three of our officers. Thankfully no one was seriously injured and he will now answer for his behaviour by serving additional seven months in prison."