A FORMER soldier who stole £100,000 worth of cars in a three month crime spree left one Oldbury man clinging desperately to his vehicle to try and stop it being stolen.

Adam Bodycote, aged 28, swerved from side to side in the £6,000 BMW as Mr Amjad Ali hung onto the car, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

But Mr Ali finally had to give up his fight and he was thrown onto a grass bank in Moat Road near his Oldbury home, said David Swinnerton prosecuting.

He said Bodycote, of Beech Road, Wednesbury, also drove off with another car owner trying to hang onto his vehicle while a further victim came close to being knocked down.

Bodycote had targeted people seeking to sell their cars and struck 12 times during his crime spree across the Black Country including Cradley Heath, Oldbury, Blackheath and Dudley between December 5 and February 13 this year.

Labourer Bodycote was identified when he inadvertently linked his own WhatsApp account to the phone number he used to communicate with his victims − and from which detectives seized his photograph.

Bodycote was listed as wanted on national police systems and went on the run as West Midlands Police carried out several warrants at addresses linked to him.

He was eventually found hiding back at his home address on February 16 after specialist entry officers smashed down the front door.

Bodycote was jailed for nine years and banned from driving for five years. Judge James Burbidge QC told him his offending was so serious only a substantial jail term was appropriate.

Miss Sally Cairns defending said the father of three was a man who was "obsessed" with cars but his life had gone downhill since he started taking drugs.

Bodycote of Beech Road, Wednesbury admitted robbery, theft, fraud handling stolen property and driving while disqualified.

Detective Tom Finney, from West Bromwich Investigation Team, said: “Bodycote used a range of tactics to manufacture opportunities to be left alone inside the cars: getting owners to pop the bonnet while he revved the engine or asking them to get documentation from the house − and when the opportunity arose he sped off.

"But on some occasions, when sellers became suspicious, he used violence to snatch the keys.

“He admitted his guilt after seeing the mountain of evidence we had against him and was jailed; we hope that this will offer justice for his victims."

He added: “Such sites encourage sellers to meet prospective buyers in a public place in daylight.

“Obtain as much information as possible about the interested buyer − and always make sure you are not alone when the person visits. Arrange to have someone with you, a friend, relative or neighbour."