A dad-of-two has thanked the public for their support after he was put behind bars for chasing two would-be burglars who managed to escape being jailed for their actions.
Adam White's bizarre experience with the law was detailed on an episode of Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody this week, which explained how the 34-year-old dealt with the would-be burglars targeting his home while his wife and two children were inside.
The incident took place in 2019, and saw White chase the burglars in his car as they attempted to escape on a stolen motorbike from his house in Leighton Buzzard, Beds. White lost control of his car, and burglars sustained serious injuries.
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Bodycam footage from the night of the incident showed White asking the arresting officer, “Am I in trouble? I’m not going to prison for this am I?”
He ended up being charged and sentenced to 22 months behind bars for causing serious injury by dangerous driving, but the two men he had chased were only handed suspended sentences and community service.
Taylor Benford and Ryan Paul, both 25, had a history of convictions including theft, reckless driving, criminal damage, shoplifting, and drug dealing, and were told to serve 200 hours of community service.
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After White's experience was shared on TV, the dad was met with a wealth of support from viewers, prompting him to express his thanks in posts and a video on Twitter.
He wrote: "Thank you to everyone for your kind words and heart felt sympathy we have been through an awful lot, it was hard seeing this on TV and with all the messages I've received has been amazing and very emotional I honestly can't believe the public is behind me.
"This is unreal the support from everyone," he continued. "My wife has just told me some people have set up a GoFundMe, and it honestly breaks my heart. Thank you, everyone from the bottom of my heart, I'm lost for words."
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White and his wife, Lindsay, also shared a video of themselves thanking the public in which they admitted they were 'a little bit worried about the backlash' after it was aired, but that they were 'overwhelmed' with the support.
"It's been emotional so thank you very much," White said.
One donator who gave money to the family through GoFundMe said the case was 'one of the worst cases of misjustice' they'd ever seen, while another said they were 'so touched' by White's story.
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Emily Brown