A “mindless” thief who stole a bus before taking it on a 10-mile joyride has been jailed for one year.
Josh Redfern got behind the wheel of the vehicle after spotting it parked up in Peveril Drive, Nottingham, on a Friday night in August.
He then sped off and went through a red light in the city centre – striking a stationary car on the way and writing off the other vehicle.
The 25-year-old then drove the purple Indigo TrentBarton bus to Borrowash, near Derby, where he abandoned it and fled the scene.
But he was later caught after Nottinghamshire Police posted a CCTV image of him on Facebook and appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Officers described his actions as “mindless, reckless and dangerous”.
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PC Matt Fisher, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “He climbed inside a bus and set off into busy city traffic – presumably with no thought of the harm he could potentially cause to other road users.
“Thankfully no-one was seriously injured, but that is no thanks to Redfern.
“He wrote off one car after colliding with it and could have harmed anyone else who he came into contact with.”
Redfern, who took the bus on Friday 4 August this year, was sentenced to 12 months in prison during a hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop after an accident, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
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The court heard Redfern, from Derby, was on a suspended prison sentence for drug-related offences at the time.
In December 2022, he had been handed a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for possession of Class A and Class B drugs, as well as for “being concerned in the supply” of Class B drugs.
