A BURGLARY victim was dragged along for up to 75 yards after he tried to stop a thief making off in a getaway van.

Aylesbury Crown Court heard last Monday how the victim Philip Simmons, of Coombe Lane, Hughenden, got his arm trapped through a van window after he confronted heroin addict Brian Whitehead who he caught taking items from his garage.

Mr Simmons only broke free after he was punched in the face by the 26-year-old thief.

Whitehead, of Furlong Road, Bourne End, pleaded guilty to two garage burglaries, dangerous driving and assaulting Mr Simmons and occasioning him actual bodily harm.

Christopher Cousins, prosecuting, told the court how Mr Simmons had gone out in his nightclothes early on September 16 last year to investigate noises and spotted his garage door half open and a white van parked outside with Whitehead standing at the passenger side.

Mr Cousins said Mr Simmons saw a power drill and other items which belonged to him and told Whitehead that if he gave them back, he would not call the police.

The court heard that Whitehead said "Okay" and got into the driver's seat. Mr Simmons believed Whitehead was going to pass him his belongings as he put his arm through the window but instead the thief started up the van and drove off, dragging Mr Simmons at 15mph up the road before punching him. Whitehead initially denied burgling the premises or being confronted by Mr Simmons but eventually pleaded guilty to the offences along with a garage break-in in Flackwell Heath last November.

Jane Hayne said in mitigation, Whitehead had been addicted to heroin at the time of the offence and his life had hit "rock bottom".

Whitehead was jailed for a total of four years and three months and disqualified from driving for 12 months.