Norwich Crown and County Court

A man who acted as a driver for two attempted burglaries on post offices in Norfolk has been given 14 months in a young offender institution.

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Norwich Crown Court heard that Leo Wardrop, 21, from Wymondham, acted as a driver for Adam Osborne, 18, and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named, who were involved in an attempted break-in at Great Ellingham Post Office, in which a door was damaged.

Wardrop was also involved in an attempted burglary, again that same night, at Rocklands All Saints Post Office, near Attleborough.

Rachel Cushing, prosecuting, said the three men were later arrested, in Hingham, after the car being driven by Wardrop was stopped by police.

At an earlier hearing, Osborne was given an 18-month rehabilitation order and the 17 year-old was given a six-month supervision order. Both were ordered to pay £160 compensation for the damage caused.

As well as the attempted burglaries, Wardrop, of Friarscroft Lane, Wymondham, also admitted affray and dangerous driving outside a kebab shop, in Wymondham, while on bail for the other offences.

Mrs Cushing said that Wardrop was involved in an argument with another group outside the kebab shop in Fairland Street. She said that he had then got into his car and reversed dangerously causing slight injury to one of the group.

Wardop also admitted common assault when he had threatened a young man, in Wymondham.

Sentencing him, Judge Paul Downes said there were three quite separate incidents for which he had to be dealt with and said that the attempted burglaries on the post offices had been planned in advance.

He said the driving outside the kebab shop had also posed a danger to people nearby and that the common assault had been “very unpleasant.”

Michael Clare, for Wardrop, said that he was a young man with a number of difficulties, who was easily led.

“He was 20 when these offences took place and they got him to drive them around. He played a lesser role than the two others.

He said that since then he had changed his life and had a new circle of friends. He had also been trained as a painter and decorator and had been awarded a prize for his achievement.

He said that the dangerous driving had been for a very short time and no one had been gravely injured.