The victim is a legendary Bristolian character.
Shaun Hartrey was one of two thieves who targeted an elderly man’s car while he put his mobility scooter in the boot(Image: Avon and Somerset Police)
Two thieves from Knowle stole an 85-year-old man’s car while he was putting his mobility scooter in the boot.
The opportunistic criminals struck after Peter Martin, a colourful Bristolian who has given thousands of people tours of the city under the moniker Pirate Pete, left his car keys on the front seat of his Polo while he put his scooter in the back of the vehicle at about 9pm on June 11.
On Friday (July 17) at Bristol Magistrates’ Court, Shaun Hartrey, 36, from Wallingford Road in Knowle, received an effective jail term of 30 weeks after pleading guilty to the theft and a string of other offences, including stealing from the Imperial Park branch of bargain retailer B&M.
Shaun Hartrey(Image: Avon and Somerset Police)
On July 10, his accomplice, 39-year-old Hayley Teale, from Kildare Road in Knowle, was jailed for 20 weeks for her part in stealing Mr Martin’s vehicle.
Hartrey is a well-known troublemaker in Bristol and has a twenty-year history of addiction to class-A drugs, the court heard.
“You’re no stranger to this courtroom are you?” District Judge Lynne Matthews asked Hartrey as he stood impassively in the dock in a grey tracksuit, his jumper just about holding in a belly hanging over his trousers. One of Hartrey’s many tattoos is the name ‘Hayley’ above his left eye — it is unclear if this is an homage to his partner in crime.
Hayley Teale(Image: Avon and Somerset Police)
According to Mr Martin, Teale approached him offering to help him with his scooter, which served as a distraction while Hartrey secretly got in the car. When one of Mr Martin’s neighbours spooked the duo, Hartrey sped off and left Teale to run for it.
The elderly man said his car had been scrapped and his scooter and many other cherished items which were inside the vehicle, including pirate paintings, were seemingly gone forever. Along with his famed tours, Mr Martin’s previous escapades include buying a drag bar in Lanzarote with his mother’s inheritance.
Victim ‘Pirate’ Peter Martin(Image: Peter Martin)
“They’ve got off pretty lightly,” Mr Martin said. “I’m minus a scooter and all the items in the car.”
“It’s been the most miserable month of my life. I’ve been spending £100 a week on taxis to get me to the shops because I can’t walk properly.”
Mr Martin said he had hurt his knee as Hartrey sped away, but ‘thanked his lucky stars’ it was nothing worse than that.
The pair will now serve at least two months behind bars before they are eligible for release.