A former Royal Air Force reservist who stole £50,000 of aircraft parts from RAF Leeming has been spared jail.
Cameron Milburn, 25, stole Tornado parts, an air throttle, two bikes, ID cards, flying helmets and military clothes from Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron (NUAS) during a three-year thieving spree between January 2015 and March 2018.
He was working for NUAS at the time as a voluntary member of the university squadron, York Crown Court heard.
Military staff at the air base near Northallerton noticed a growing number of items had gone missing and the Royal Military Police were informed.
Durham Police were also notified and sent officers to Milburn’s home in March 2018 when they found the hoard of stolen items from the RAF base.
Milburn, of Ashford Drive, Sacriston, was arrested and initially charged with six counts of theft and two counts of burglary.
He denied the burglary allegations but admitted four of the theft charges.
The other allegations, including the two burglary charges, were allowed to lie on court file.
Milburn appeared for sentence on Tuesday when the court heard that his RAF career now lay “in ruins”.
He was now working as a bus driver.
Prosecutor Michael Cahill said Milburn had a lifelong interest in flying and the armed forces, “and the air force in particular”.
“He was an RAF reservist and an active member of the Air Cadet Association,” added Mr Cahill.
Milburn, who was also a member of the volunteer gliding squad at RAF Tockwith, began to arouse suspicion among staff at RAF Leeming who noticed “very valuable” items going missing.
During the search of his home, police found a “large amount” of aircraft and military items and the two bikes, worth at least £750 each, were also recovered.
Aircraft instruments and Tornado parts were also found, along with four keys, £6,000 of clothing, two helmets worth £1,000 and identity documents belonging to NUAS staff.
Mr Cahill said the “vast majority” of items were aircraft parts, whose value was put at just under £50,000.
Cameron told police he had intended to return the items but “just hadn’t got round to it”.
He said he had planned to build an aircraft simulator using the parts he had stolen.
He told officers that “fairly recently I’ve had a few things in my possession that don’t belong to me, like the bikes, back in my garage, and bits and pieces that have fallen into my possession over the previous months and years”.
The charges he denied, and which were ultimately withdrawn, included the alleged thefts of a propeller blade, an air navigational aid dated 1969, a greatcoat and 14 navigational charts.
The court heard that Milburn had led a previously blame-free life and was now considering a new career as a lorry driver.
Chris Morrison, mitigating, said Milburn was genuinely remorseful for his acts and felt he had “let himself down, let down an organisation he was proud to be a part of and let down his family”.
Judge Simon Hickey told Milburn: “You abused your position as a reservist and volunteer (with the armed forces).”
He said Milburn had now lost his hitherto “impeccable character” and that the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence would be justified.
However, he said the sentence could be suspended because Milburn had ultimately owned up to the offences and had shown genuine remorse.
The 16-month jail term was suspended for a year and Milburn was ordered to carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work.
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