NO JUSTICE
A HAVE-a-go hero who ran two burglars off the road has said it was a "slap in the face" to see the thieves go free - as he was jailed for two years for the ordeal.
Adam White, 34, was locked up for 22 months for causing serious injury by dangerous driving as he chased after the crooks who tried to break into his family home.
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He was released in September but Adam's arrest caught public attention after it was broadcast on 24 Hours in Police Custody, where his case sparked outrage amongst viewers.
The homeowner chased the two thieves as they attempted to break into his property where his wife and two young children were.
He then lost control of his car in the pursuit - leaving the two crooks in critical condition.
But while he was jailed for his actions, the two burglars that broke into his home walked free in part due to their injuries.
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Speaking to , the dad said being sentenced was "the worst day of my life," as he revealed the ongoing effect of his time in jail.
Taylor Benford and Ryan Paul, both 25, received suspended sentences and 200 hours community service after pleading guilty to the attempted burglary of the White's family home.
The judge believed their injuries would make it hard for them in prison, a decision Adam slammed as "sickening".
He said: "'If they are fit enough to get in a car [again] and do that but not face prison time for their actions, it does make you feel like it is a slap in the face.
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"Why doesn't everyone just be a criminal? It's sickening knowing there's no deterrent."
Benford and Taylor, who both have a string of previous convictions, were armed with a crowbar and bolt cutters when they attempted to break into Mr White's property in Bedfordshire in 2019.
The two would-be burglars targeted Adam's home after posing as potential buyers of a motorbike Adam had advertised online.
But when he spotted the men as they attempted to break into his family's garage, Adam pursued the two in his Mercedes 4x4 as he chased them off his property.
The chase abruptly ended when the two thieves were thrown from a stolen motorbike, sustaining serious injuries including a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain and broken bones.
He was arrested on the spot after detailing the accident to police, and said he now regrets his actions and "wishes it didn't happen".
He added: "My actions were my actions - I shouldn't have left my house and I’ve had to pay the price for that."
Following his arrest, the dad had to pay £50,000 for legal fees, and empty his "life savings" while taking out loans and credit cards to pay for the case.
'INCREDIBLY HARD'
Adam said one of the hardest moments of his ordeal was the decision with his wife to terminate her pregnancy, through fears about the difficulty of raising the baby alone if he went to prison.
"That was the worst thing we had to do," he said.
"Within a week and a half of the incident, we made a decision to have a termination.
"We didn’t know what was happening or a charge or anything like that. What do you do?
"We made the most sensible decision we could at the time, it was incredibly hard...the pain she went through. I sat there with her the whole time.
"The two and a half years leading up to the court date we were in limbo and we didn’t know what to do."
He added that he was "petrified" when he was sentenced in court, and described it as "the worst day of my life".
Despite feeling "so scared" in his first few days locked up, Adam befriended his cellmate after being moved from Bedford to Mount Prison, who helped him settle to life in prison.
Speaking of his life behind bars, Adam said he hated being "restricted" from speaking to his family, but said their visits were just as heartbreaking.
It was weird and horrible for the kids, they got searched down by dogs. It’s not something you want your kids to go through
Adam White, 34
"It's not something you want your kids to go through, but at the same time I wanted to see them," he said.
"The kids didn’t know what happened until I got sent to prison, we didn’t want them to feel unsafe.
Released from prison in September, the dad said the case is still massively affecting his life.
He has to wear an ankle tag at all times, and is not allowed out of the house between 7AM and 7PM.
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Adam also lost his job as an electrician and has been banned from driving until 2025, but has seen an outpouring of support following his headline grabbing arrest.
A has raised more than £150,000 in less than a week - and the pair have now stopped funds going to them and want to give money to a pregnancy and baby loss charity to "help others who've gone through the same thing".
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