Car thief admits farm-fuel raid

A man has admitted stealing fuel during a raid in which a farmer's wife died.

Rosemary Dove, 68, collapsed after dialling 999 to report an intruder at her home in East House Farm, Bishop Middleham, County Durham, on 22 June.

Tony Blair, 22, of Coundon near Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to theft of diesel and wounding Mrs Dove's son by driving into him with a stolen car.

Blair was remanded in custody at Teesside Crown Court on Monday until a sentencing hearing on 11 December.

Mrs Dove and her husband Frank, 67, spotted Blair stealing red diesel when they returned to their farm from an agricultural show in Scotland.

Red diesel is cheaper and is used in tractors and other machinery for agricultural use.

Stolen goods

Mr Dove and son James, 44, gave chase to a nearby field, where the younger man was hit by the getaway vehicle, the family's silver Mitsubishi L200 pick-up.

Mrs Dove, who had returned to the farmhouse to dial 999, was later found collapsed, and subsequently died.

Blair, of Leeholme Road, pleaded guilty to six charges.

He admitted grievous bodily harm with intent to James Dove, theft of a Mitsubishi L200 pick-up, theft of diesel, theft of a caravan and two charges of handling stolen goods - one of an Toyota Landcruiser and another of a Nissan Xtrail.

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