Longsight motorbike thief jailed after telling police to ‘catch me if you can’
A serial motorbike thief from Longsight has been handed jail time after taunting police and telling them to “catch me if you can”.
Mark Fay has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after being found guilty yesterday (22 November) for the part he played in a string of motorbike thefts in Greater Manchester and the surrounding areas, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.
Already wanted by police, the 29-year-old Manchester man actually contacted officers himself and told them to “catch me if you can”.
Not only that, but those very same taunting words were also mirrored in the captions of the videos he posted on his social media platforms – which were eventually found by the officers who were tasked with tracking Fay down and arresting him.
After several reports of Fay’s thefts came in, GMP’s Central Neighbourhood Crime Team and District Tasking Team launched a “lengthy investigation” to find and convict the criminal.
But, just a couple of months back in September, Fay’s goading words essentially became meaningless, as he was indeed caught, arrested, and charged with eight counts of theft of motor vehicle offences and three counts of handling stolen goods during a trial yesterday.
Fay was remanded into custody, where he will now remain as he serves his jail sentence.
“Fay had a clear set-up and he planned the offences carefully,” explained PC Davies, of GMP’s Central Divisional Tasking Team, as Fay was jailed.
“It was a lengthy investigation by the team into a clearly organised spate of thefts. This showcases the lengths we take in our investigations – no matter how organised or sophisticated the group or individual may be, we will thoroughly investigate and put offenders away in jail.
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“And our message to criminals is we can catch you, we will catch you, and we will endeavour to catch all those who threaten the safety of our neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester.”
Featured Image – GMP