Bergerac Voleur sentenced to 18 months after stop-stick arrest

Police in Bergerac arrested a voleur after officers stopped a stolen vehicle with a stop-stick and prevented the driver from getting away again. The man was later brought before the judicial court and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The case began at a resident's home in Bergerac, where police were called for a vehicle theft. The caller said the vehicle belonged to his son and had been parked at the back of the garden. The property's gate was completely smashed and appeared to have been forced from the inside by a vehicle.

Bergerac police response

The signalement was immediately broadcast to all patrols of the national police and municipal police. A few minutes later, municipal police officers on patrol in Bergerac spotted the reported vehicle. They placed a stop-stick in front of the vehicle's front left wheel to prevent a flight.

The driver refused to comply with the officers' orders and tried to leave again, but the stop-stick immobilized the vehicle. Officers arrested the suspect at the scene, ending the pursuit in the same area where the vehicle had been reported stolen.

Judicial court ruling

In custody, the suspect admitted the theft of the vehicle and the damage to property. He was then brought before the judicial court, where he was found guilty in immediate appearance proceedings and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The case shows how quickly the Bergerac patrols moved once the stolen vehicle was reported, and how the court handled the file after custody. For the owner, the immediate issue was not only the missing vehicle, but also the smashed gate and the admitted property damage tied to the theft.