A MAN has been jailed after he was caught driving stolen cars under false registration plates.

Robert Thompson, from Hove, was caught driving a £50,000 Range Rover Velar in January last year, which was under a false registration plate linked to a different Range Rover Velar which had been stolen from Brighton.

The car was found to have been stolen from a property in West Drayton in December 2020, and GPS data from Thompson’s phone linked him to the area at that time.

The 35-year-old was also caught driving a Range Rover Evoque – valued at £13,500 – under false registration plates, which had been stolen from Hove in August 2020.

He was arrested and released under investigation, but 12 months later, a stolen Citroen Nemo van with false registration plates was found parked in front of his house.

Police searched his property and found the keys to the Citroen and a quantity of cocaine.

Fingerprints and DNA evidence also linked him to a BMW X3 worth £12,000, which had been stolen from Worthing in June 2020.

The Argus: Robert Thompson, of Church Road in HoveRobert Thompson, of Church Road in Hove

Thompson, of Church Road in Hove, pleaded guilty to three counts of receiving stolen goods in relation to the two Range Rovers and the BMW and two counts of fraudulently using false registration plates on the Range Rover Velar and Citroen Nemo.

At Lewes Crown Court, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Half will be served on licence.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Tom Duffy said: “Robert Thompson is a professional criminal, experienced in using false registration plates to hide his crimes.

“These thefts were of a significant value and had a huge impact on his victims and the community as a whole.

“Securing this custodial sentence for several offences over a number of years is testament to the teamwork that went into arresting Thompson and gathering the evidence that proved his crimes.

“I would like to thank the victims, and everybody involved in the case for their help in bringing him to justice, and reaffirm our commitment to making Brighton and Hove an inhospitable place for criminals.”