Daniel Kirkland slapped with CCO for stealing multiple cars and taking them on joyrides, filmed and stored on his phone

A teen caught stealing cars and taking them on joyrides across the Hunter and Central Coast was undone by the trail of evidence of videos and photos documented all on his phone.

Daniel Kirkland was sentenced in Newcastle District Court on Tuesday. Supplied Amy Ziniak

Filmed and documented on his phone, a Queensland man’s three-month crime spree showed him stealing multiple cars and taking them on joyrides across Newcastle, Central Coast and the Hunter Valley.

A court heard Daniel Kirkland, who was 18 at the time, was “immature” and had engaged in peer group activity that was serious and dangerous, costing him 268 days behind bars.

In the period of January to March last year it was found a group of men would break into homes in the early hours of the morning to steal car keys while the owners slept.

It is then that those men, along with Kirkland, would steal the vehicles and take them on joyrides.

What made it easy for police when Kirkland was arrested trying to flee officers at Waratah West in March last year was a trail of evidence in the forms of videos and photos documenting his crime spree, all included with timestamps.

At the time of his arrest he was also carrying a variety of things in his bumbag, which included numerous keys to different vehicles, garage door remotes, a bank card, cash, torch, a gold Tommy Hilfiger watch and some red gloves.

Kirkland was given a 12-month CCO for stealing cars on a three-month crime spree. Istock pic.

The court heard he was involved in car thefts at Hamlyn Terrace on the Central Coast, New Lambton, Merewether, Cameron Park, Wallsend and Muswellbrook.

On February 8 last year, Kirkland recorded himself walking around and driving a stolen BMW and had a screenshot of the address where it had been taken at Ridgeway Rd, New Lambton Heights.

Another video of the following day had him walking around, sitting and driving a stolen Land Rover from Hall St, Merewether, and one video which showed dangerous speeding of up to 188kmh.

The court heard CCTV showed two people arriving at a home on Fitzroy St, Lambton on March 6 before they stole a Mazda which was used in a number of offences at Hamlyn Terrace before a Yamaha motorcycle was also stolen from a backyard.

Footage on Kirkland’s phone showed he was seen riding the motorbike, all while being unlicensed.

After his arrest the following day, police also uncovered videos on his phone of Kirkland holding the keys to a Mitsubishi Outlander on January 31 which had been stolen when the keys were taken from a bowl inside the house.

Two videos also revealed him as a passenger in a stolen vehicle from Muswellbrook on February 21.

Kirkland pleaded guilty to two charges of take and drive conveyance without consent of the owner, possession of house breaking implements, goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen, never licensed person drive vehicle on road and custody of a knife in a public place.

While three other charges of take and drive conveyance without consent of the owner and knowingly being carried in a stolen conveyance were taken into account.

In Newcastle District Court on Tuesday, Judge Peter McGrath said it was obvious that his offending had not shown a great level of planning or sophistication and noted none of the owners of the vehicles had been physically or violently confronted.

He said the fact Kirkland took videos of his involvement which incriminated him showed his “level of immaturity”.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community correction order (CCO) with conditions that he must participate in any program, treatment or intervention ordered by community corrections and abstain from illicit drugs.