Douglas Vale sentenced to jail after stealing car and driving from Dubbo to Orange

Douglas Vale, 23, of Bletchington Street, Orange, drove the car from Dubbo to Orange where he was arrested for breaching his parole for armed robbery.

He refused legal assistance when he appeared in custody in Orange Local Court last Wednesday and because he had to serve the balance of parole he asked to be sentenced straight away.

According to police, Vale and a friend were parked at a petrol station in Erskine Street, Dubbo, at about 6.30am on July 23, in a white Mitsubishi sedan that had been lent to the driver by its owner.

The driver went inside to buy milk and left Vale in the car with the keys in the ignition, a situation that Vale said in court meant to him "take me".

He left while the driver was still inside the service station and another acquaintance phoned police and told them they believed he was driving to Orange.

He arrived about 8.15am and was seen getting out of the car and walking into a house.

At 8.25am police arrived and knocked on the front door but Vale kicked out a fly screen from a nearby child's bedroom window, jumped through the window and then jumped over the back fence.

He was arrested after a short foot pursuit.

Magistrate David Day said stealing cars was a serious offence and gave Vale a 12-month jail sentence with nine-month non-parole period but Vale will still be serving the balance of his parole when the sentence ends.

Mr Day also convicted Vale of driving while unlicensed but gave him no further penalty.