A 22-year-old man from Reading has been charged with robbery and criminal damage following a car theft and several crashes in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary investigated the incident after a silver Mercedes was stolen from Sarum Hill on 31 January 2026.
On the same day it was taken, the stolen vehicle was involved in a collision that damaged four parked cars on Diana Close. Following a month-long investigation into the damage, officers arrested Jack Hands, of Staverton Road in Reading, on 26 February 2026.
Hands faces charges for robbery, five counts of criminal damage, dangerous driving, and driving without insurance. He appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on 28 February 2026 and was remanded in custody.
The next court appearance for the defendant is set for 1 April 2026 at Winchester Crown Court. This case follows a period of increased patrols by the Basingstoke South neighbourhood team to tackle vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour in the town centre.
