A GANG of car key burglars raided an Evesham home while a young child slept inside and were later involved in 'extremely dangerous driving' in a stolen car during a failed getaway.

The trio of burglars, all with a string of previous convictions, broke into the home in Cartwright Way, Evesham, stole car keys and made off in two high value cars while the homeowners and their son were asleep inside.

The following day all three men were involved in a police chase on the motorway in a different stolen car (a Seat Leon), attempting a getaway even though the car's tyres had been shredded by a police stinger. The driver later failed to provide a sample of blood for analysis because he had 'a phobia of needles'.

The three all received jail sentences when they appeared together at Worcester Crown Court on Monday and two of the men will miss the birth of their children as a result.

Billy Cowley, aged 22, of Little Hill Way, Birmingham; Brandon Gorman, aged 22, of Runcorn Road, Birmingham appeared over videolink from prison and 20-year-old Reece Williams-Brown of Oddingley Road, Birmingham appeared in the dock.

The three all admitted the Evesham burglary on June 17 this year and theft of a Volkswagen Golf and Mercedes A200.

Gorman admitted aggravated vehicle taking after driving a stolen Seat Leon dangerously on the M42 the following day (June 18).

Cowley and Williams-Brown also admitted aggravated vehicle taking after allowing themselves to be carried in the stolen Leon.

Gorman alone admitted driving while disqualified on June 17 and again on June 18. Gorman admitted two offences of using a car without third party insurance and one of failing to provide a specimen for analysis, claiming to be scared of needles.

Cowley and Gorman's partners are both expecting children and will miss the births as a result of their prison sentences.

John Brotherton, prosecuting, said the cars stolen from the house in Evesham were worth £25,000 each.

The men broke in through French windows at the back of the house and stole two sets of car keys off a table in the hall.

However, the Mercedes was fitted with a tracker which allowed the owner to trace the vehicle to Gorman's address. By the time police arrived the car had already been fitted with false plates.

The Golf was never recovered.

The Seat Leon was stolen from an address in Brierley Hill on June 15/16 although there was no evidence that the three defendants were involved in that burglary.

Mr Brotherton said police later located the Leon being driven on false plates the M42 at junction 3 but Gorman continued driving despite officers activating flashing lights, forcing them to deploy a stinger which caused the tyres to 'disintegrate'. Despite this Gorman did not stop, undertaking a lorry on the hard shoulder before the Leon was brought to a stop by 'a number of police cars'.

"He (Gorman) tested positive for cannabis (at the roadside), refusing to produce a specimen of blooding, saying he had a phobia of needles" said Mr Brotherton.

Cowley had previous convictions for robbery, grievous bodily harm with intent, dishonesty officers and was also in breach of a suspended sentence (26 weeks suspended for 12 months) for harassment and battery.

Gorman, 'a three strikes burglar', had previous convictions for aggravated vehicle taking, house burglary, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, driving while disqualified and at the time of the most recent offences was on licence after receiving a 34 month sentence for possession of class A drugs with intent to supply at Gloucester Crown Court on May 18, 2018.

Williams-Brown had previous convictions for domestic and commercial burglary, driving offences including dangerous driving, attempted burglary, going equipped, handling stolen goods, drugs offences, aggravated vehicle taking and battery. The most recent offences were committed while he was on licence.

Judge Nicolas Cartwright gave all defendants credit for their guilty pleas and bore in mind the principle of totality, imposing several concurrent sentences.

However, he said the Evesham burglary was aggravated by the fact that the couple and their young son were asleep in the house at the time, that it was committed at night, the high value of the stolen cars and the relevant previous convictions of the defendants. Gorman and Williams-Brown were also both on licence at the time 'having not long been released from significant custodial sentences'.

Judge Cartwright said of Gorman's driving on the motorway: "I would characterise it as extremely dangerous driving given it was on the motorway with the tyres disintegrating and included an attempt to undertake a lorry."

The judge jailed Gorman for four years and three months and banned him from driving for 12 months.

Williams-Brown was sentenced to four years detention in a Young Offender Institution and banned from driving for 12 months.

Cowley was jailed for three and a half years and banned from driving for 12 months.

The driving ban was extended in the case of all three defendants so it will begin when they are released on licence at the halfway point of their prison sentence.