A man has been jailed after admitting the attempted theft of a car, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance, failing to stop and stealing.

Appearing at Luton Crown Court on Friday, Sean Hyde, 22, of Barkers Lane, Bedford, also asked for 92 other offences to be taken into consideration.

William Chapman, prosecuting, said on July 24, last year, Hyde stole an expensive lead sheet off the roof extension of a home in Bedford when the owners were away for the weekend.

On February 13 he tried to steal a Ford Fiesta from a drive in Bedford and was unable to get it started. However, the break-in and damage to the steering wheel lock cost the owner £400 in repairs.

Then on April 17 he stole a Vauxhall Nova from a home in Bedford and drove it without insurance. He was seen by the police driving in Dart Road, Bedford, and tried to escape when they signalled him to pull over.

Mr Chapman said Hyde turned the car's lights off and went off the road onto a "grass area, presumably with the aim of frustrating the chase".

However, Hyde drove into a tree and was arrested.

He told the police he had committed a number of other offences in the Bedford area for which he had never been charged.

He asked for a total of 92 other offences to be taken into consideration, including

62 thefts of metals such as lead and copper
21 vehicle takings
Five non-dwelling burglaries
Two criminal damage cases
And two instances of making off without paying for petrol.

Andrew Brumhill, defending, said Hyde had been honest about his offending because "he wants to draw a line underneath it".

He said: "He has just had a baby with his partner and he wants to move on from his criminal past. His partner has told him if he doesn't sort himself out she'll leave him."

Mr Brumhill added that Hyde, who has a list of previous convictions relating to theft and bail offences, broke the law because of a drug habit and alcoholism and had an unsettled life because he was "not academically blessed".

Sentencing, Recorder Jeremy Dein told Hyde: "You have appeared in court since 2006 on a number of occasions. You claim to want to live a normal life but you have not complied with community sentences in the past and have a high risk of re-offending.

"I have come to the conclusion these crimes are so serious in order to protect the public a jail sentence is justified. But I will take into account your guilty pleas and admissions in light of the duration."

Hyde was jailed for a total of two years and nine months. He will also have his licence endorsed and be disqualified from driving for three years.