Bristol cycle thief caught – after leaving his DNA on bike he left behind

A man who stole a bicycle from a railway station in Bristol was caught because his DNA was found on the bike he arrived there on prior to committing the theft.

Andrew Grubb, aged 39 and from Bradley Stoke, close to Bristol Parkway station, was a known bike thief, reports the Bristol Post.

Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard that he stole a road bike belonging to a teacher who had parked it at the station, removing the front wheel and replacing it with one from another bike.

Witnesses watched him ride off on the bike, leaving behind an old one he had used to get to the station, and when forensic officers from British Transport Police (BTP) swabbed it they found his DNA.

Magistrates ordered Grubb to undergo a six-month drug rehabilitation course and 20 days of rehabilitation activity, as well as paying £1,000 in compensation to the owner of the stolen bike and £40 to the owner of the bike he took the wheel from.

"This was a victim-focused prosecution, aimed at getting the best result for the victims while treating the underlying issues of Grubb's offending,” commented PC Will Russell of BTP.

"This case also demonstrates our determination to clamp down on cycle thieves on the rail network, showing we will use all options available to us to trace offenders and ensure they are brought to justice."

From the description of the theft, it sounds as though the stolen bike had been secured by its front wheel alone, rather than its frame – something that makes a bicycle a tempting target for thieves.

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