Leamington burglar tried to escape along river in stolen kayak after shed break-in

And a judge at Warwick Crown Court heard that at the time Coveney was on bail for assaulting a police officer following an earlier incident at his parents’ home.

Coveney (38) of Grenfell Close, Leamington, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker, burglary, theft and two charges of possessing bladed articles.

He was jailed for a total of 12 months after the judge, who heard he was also subject to a community order at the time, rejected a plea for him to be given one more chance.

Prosecutor Amrisha Parathalingam said that in March Coveney, who lives with his parents, was involved in a verbal altercation with his mother, who called the police.

Officers arrived and one of them went inside to speak to Coveney, who was in his bedroom.

But Coveney, who was intoxicated, was abusive and adopted ‘a fighting stance,’ so the officer drew his Taser, at which Coveney backed away.

He seemed to be ‘up and down,’ and at one point shook the officer’s hand, but became more aggressive after his parents said he had to leave because of his behaviour.

Coveney went towards the officer and swung punches at him towards his head and chest, but the officer managed to evade them and arrested Coveney who continued to act aggressively as he was taken out of the property.

In handcuffs in a cell at Leamington police station, he asked if his socks could be taken off for him, and when an officer refused, fearing he would kick out, he threatened: “I’ll break your f***ing nose.”

After being released on bail, Coveney broke into a shed on the allotments in Radford Road, Leamington, at around 6.30 in the morning on June 22.

Another allotment holder was alerted by a motion-activated camera linked to his mobile phone, and could see Coveney moving around, so went to the allotments to investigate.

He found that another allotment-holder’s shed had been broken into, and saw Coveney paddling along the river in a kayak he had stolen from outside the burgled shed.

He alerted his fellow allotment-holder, and as she made her way to the allotments she saw Coveney, who had got out of the kayak at Mill Street, wearing her orange lifejacket.

She went to challenge him, but he was holding two sickles he had taken from the shed, so she got back into her car.

The police had been alerted, and when he was found a short distance away he was ordered to put the sickles down, and complied, added Miss Parathalingam.

Simon Hunka, defending, said it was ‘most unfortunate’ Coveney, who had mental health and alcohol issues, found himself in court, having been largely out of trouble for the last ten years.

Mr Hunka said Coveney had brought up his three teenage children with the help of his parents after their mother had left when the oldest, now 19, was just five years old.

He had started drinking more at the end of last year and had lost his job in March because of the Covid-19 lockdown, which also led to a drop-off in the support he was able to receive from the probation service.

“He is embarrassed and ashamed at his behaviour, and that he was making good progress and has thrown it all away.”

Pointing out that Coveney now had a new relationship and the offer of his job back, Mr Hunka added: “He might be someone who could be given one further opportunity.”

But jailing Coveney for six months for the assault on the officer and a further six months for the other offences, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him: “Police officers are there to help the public.

“They put their lives at risk on a daily basis, and assaults on them are always completely unacceptable.

“And you were on bail for those matters when you burgled a shed at an allotment.”