Suspended prison sentence for Cambridge man caught with stolen bike

A 34-year-old Cambridge man caught with a stolen bike worth more than £1,000 has been given a two-year behaviour order.

Neighbourhood police arrested Darren Valentine at his home in Squires Close, Chesterton, on 10 January after finding him in possession of a black Dallingridge Oxford folding bike.

Officers tracked down the owner via Cycle King in Mill Road and learned the bike had been taken from the owner’s shed.

Valentine was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months, at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 7 March after previously pleading guilty to receiving stolen goods.

Valentine was also handed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order not to:

▶ Be in possession or in control of any bicycle, bicycle part or bicycle accessories without verifiable proof of ownership which you are able to produce on request by a police officer.

▶ Sell or offer to sell any bicycle, using any method you do not have verifiable proof of ownership

▶ Attend any secure bicycle store belonging to University of Cambridge or affiliated colleges

PC Rob Tindall, from the Cambridge City neighbourhood policing team, said: “In a city where cycling is a way of life, tackling bike theft is a top priority. We’re committed to protecting cyclists and ensuring that Cambridge remains a safe place for cyclists.”

Information about how to protect your bike from thieves can be viewed on the force’s website.

Eight free bike marking events will take place across Cambridge in the coming months. They are:

▶ 19 March: C3 Church, 11am-1pm

▶ 27 March: Cambridge Guildhall, 10am-2pm

▶ 4 April: Meadows Community Hub, Trumpington, 10am-12pm

▶ 11 April: Cambridge Central Mosque, 12pm-2pm

▶ 16 April: Wulfstan Way, Queen Edith’s, 3pm-5pm

▶ 23 April: Cambridge train station, 4pm-8pm

▶ 25 April: Clay Farm, Trumpington, 11am-1pm

▶ 19 June: Parker’s Piece, 11am-3pm