IF he so much as puts a fingertip on a car without permission for the next two years, this serial car criminal could face five years in jail.

Magistrates showed the red light to Jamie Campy, after hearing about a night of motor crime that began in York and spread to outlying villages.

Spells behind bars had failed to stop the 21-year-old from committing vehicle crimes.

So when Campy, of Danum Road, Fulford, appeared before to them to answer for his latest crimes, they gave him a two-year criminal antisocial behaviour order, as well as a four-month prison sentence.

"The public need protection from your actions," said magistrate Richard Goodacre.

Campy admitted two offences of being a passenger in a snatched car, and one of vehicle interference, and asked for seven similar offences to be taken into consideration.

He has 75 convictions for car crimes, including taking cars without consent, driving whilst disqualified, and vehicle interference.

Prosecutor Ann Darwin said the crimes committed by Campy and his companions on February 4 began when a Vauxhall Corsa car was stolen from Scarcroft Road.

Shortly afterwards, at 2am, a farmer spotted it being driven round a village hall car park near Sheriff Hutton.

By 2.10am a gang of youths were trying to break into a Vauxhall Astra car parked in Mill Lane Avenue, in the village. They damaged the car extensively before moving on. Forensic scientists later linked Campy to it.

The car criminals moved on to Stillington, where they vandalised a Vauxhall Corsa car, and then to Sutton-on-the-Forest.

Later the same night, the gang stole a Ford Fiesta that was parked with the keys in it on a garage forecourt in Sutton Road, Wigginton. After 7am, police spotted the Fiesta in York and gave chase during which the driver drove on the wrong side of the road at 50 mph. Campy was a passenger.

For Campy, Kevin Blount said his friends had offered him a ride in the first Corsa when he was walking along a York street and he had got in. He realised it was stolen but went along.

Mr Blount said the car broke down out in the countryside and they tried to snatch another car. They walked half-way back to York before they succeeded.

Campy had had a difficult childhood and had had enough of prison.

The CRASBO stops Campy from:

Touching any car or vehicle without the owner's consent within the York outer ring road

Causing alarm, distress or harassment to anyone within the York outer ring road

Being with the alleged driver of the second Corsa for six months after his release from jail

Prevents him leaving his home between 9pm and 7am for three months after his release.

Chain of crimes which lead to vehicle sanction

March 2003

Mugs a newspaper boy for £30.

May 2003

Steals a Ford Sierra from St Benedict's Road on May 3.

Is a passenger in a snatched car, that is involved in a crash on May 12.

Drives whilst disqualified and without insurance, leads police on a chase and resists arrest on May 18.

June 2003

Jailed for five months for the mugging, car crimes and other offences, but not the May 12 offence.

October 2003

Leads police on a 70 mph car chase in a snatched Astra in Clifton and the Wigginton Road area. Chase ends after he smashes down a bollard and crashes into a car on Haxby Road. He is driving whilst disqualified and without insurance.

December 2003

Jailed for 12 months for the May 12 and October offences.

October 2005

Commits more motoring offences, including taking a vehicle without consent, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance, and is jailed.

February 2006

Commits night of car crime from York to Sheriff Hutton.

May 2006

Jailed for four months and made subject to a CRASBO that bans him from touching cars for the next two years.

Police delighted over 'tough' sentence

JAMIE Campy is well known to the auto crime unit at York Police as one of the city's most prolific car crime offenders.

He first appeared before the courts in November 2000, one month after his 16th birthday.

Since then he has been convicted for more than 75 car crime offences.

PC Paul Sands, who has dealt with Campy regularly in that time, said: "The police are delighted because this should make the community safer for everyone in York.

"There have been a lot of vehicles broken into and this should reduce the impact he has on the community and hopefully reduce the amount of car crime overall.

"It sends a message to other offenders committing car crime.

"It (the CRASBO) is quite unusual because it is a relatively new condition to be put on.

"He has been a prolific auto crime criminal for the last six years or so, and the courts must feel this is needed to stop him offending.

"If he touches a vehicle he shouldn't touch, then it's a major breach of his CRASBO, although it is something that need not have been an offence previously.

"This is one of the ways the courts have deemed best if they don't want to put them in prison, or when they come out of prison, to deter them from offending."

He said the tight guidelines meant this kind of CRASBO would work.

PC Sands said: "It is so easy for them (anyone given this type of CRASBO) to breach it that if they don't stick to the conditions they may receive a harsh punishment from the courts.

"Campy was extremely prolific and we are very pleased with this result, because car crime is one of the things we are really trying to crack down on and reduce in York."

Updated: 10:38 Thursday, May 18, 2006