York thief who flipped stolen Range Rover with dog inside jailed

  • Footage shows Nicholas Oakland driving at speeds of over 100mph as he tried to escape police

A thief who caused a dog fatal injuries when he flipped the owner's stolen car after a 130mph police chase has been jailed.

Nicholas Oakland, 30, stole the Range Rover from outside a shop in the Acomb area of York with the doberman still inside on 24 February.

He then led police, including a helicopter, on a high-speed chase on the A163, reaching speeds of 130mph as he weaved in and out of heavy rush hour traffic.

After a number of near misses with members of the public, a police stinger device was deployed just outside of North Duffield, causing the car to crash and roll into a field.

Oakland flipped his car after police deployed a stinger. Credit: North Yorkshire Police

The owner’s dog, called Jake, then fled the scene. He was tracked down by police but died from his injuries a few weeks later.

North Yorkshire Police Traffic Sergeant Julian Pearson said: "Oakland's driving posed a serious risk to other road users as he drove the stolen vehicle in an appalling way.

"Thankfully with the use of specialist police resources we were able to quickly bring the vehicle to a stop less than 30 minutes after it was reported stolen."

He added: "This case has touched everyone involved in the investigation and we all wished that Jake made a full recovery from his injuries; sadly this wasn’t to be and Jake passed away a few weeks later. Jake was a family member, a loved one and will be dearly missed."

Oakland was arrested at the scene. Credit: North Yorkshire Police

Oakland was found guilty of dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and driving with no insurance.

He was jailed for 19 months and banned from driving for three years and nine months.

The car's owner Matthew Wilson said: "The past few months have been extremely traumatic for our family.  

"Jake wasn’t simply a family pet but a trained support dog, a companion, and my best friend.

Jake the dog escaped but later died. Credit: North Yorkshire Police

"We had travelled to over 22 countries together and were planning on more adventures before his life was cut short.

“We continue to miss our boy Jake every day and it still difficult to comprehend the unnecessary injuries and suffering that he had to go through which ultimately resulted him in losing his life."

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