At 2.00am on the morning of 23rd March police stopped James Edward Downey near the Total Garage in Newton Aycliffe.
On searching the 18 year old, they discovered a torch, keys and hidden down his wellington boots, two 12” hacksaw blades.
Downey, of Suffolk Place, Bishop Auckland, was before the court for the first time and was said to have not realised the seriousness of the charge.
Magistrates at Newton Aycliffe imposed a community order of 100 hours unpaid work and ordered the forfeitsure and destruction of the keys, blades and torch.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
