Police feared a stolen lorry could be used in a potential terrorist attack after it smashed through a security barrier.
Peter Willans sparked the concerns as he stole shipping containers filled with used tyres and bin bags worth more than £100,000. The dad-of-two was linked to the crimes because of his tattoo.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Friday, that the 35-year-old stole a £10,000 Maritime Transport trailer, a container worth £4,000 and its contents - between £50,000 and £60,000 of used tyres, which were set for export - from the Port of Liverpool at around 2.15pm on January 20 this year. Joanne Moore, prosecuting, described how Willans then took another wagon, a shipping container and its loads of bin bags - valued at a combined £51,500 - from the firm's depot in Trafford Park, Manchester, at roughly 4pm the same day.
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The latter offence saw him and an accomplice tailgate another HGV into the secure site, hook up a white Scania truck to a container and flee at speed - crashing through an exit gate in doing so - as they were chased by staff. But the thieves were followed by another lorry driver who relayed their whereabouts to police as he did so.
This saw a helicopter called in and the pair being pursued by patrol cars, who kept their distance and did not activate their sirens as they "did not know what the purpose" of the vehicle's theft was and were "concerned it could be used as a terrorist weapon". Willans and his partner in crime eventually stopped at Birch Services on the M62, where they attempted to hide in the toilets and avoid detection by "removing outer layers of clothing".
But the pair were arrested after a "brief struggle". The court was told that "significant police resources" were used in apprehending them.
Two days later, the authorities received reports from members of the public of an abandoned shipping container on Atherton Road in Aintree. Upon checking CCTV footage, it was discovered that Willans had entered the Port of Liverpool wearing a face mask and baseball cap, hooked up a trailer "unchallenged" and left with the pilfered loot.
Willans - of Ealand Road in Batley, West Yorkshire - was ultimately identified as the clip showed a tattoo matching one on his arm. Under interview, he said he had been "forced to commit the thefts" as he owed debts to drug dealers.
Leila Taleb, defending, said her client had the offer of work as a HGV technician upon his release. She added: "The reality is that Mr Willans had been receiving threats, and those threats were not any directed to him but his immediate family - including his two daughters.
"He has had a salutary period of introspection to reflect on his actions. His addiction to drugs has brought some encumbrances.
"That drug debt was over his head and is essentially the reason he committed the offences. He lost his job and spiralled into a state of depression, which was an underlying factor in returning to drugs.
"Threats were made against his family and he felt he had no option but to commit the offences, which he is really sorry for. He is seen as a person with a good, strong work ethic.
"He does have that motivation to get off drugs and never find himself in that situation again. Employment is his best bet of staying out of trouble and getting involved with nefarious associates."
Willans - who appeared via video link to HMP Liverpool - admitted two counts of theft, driving without a licence and driving without insurance and was jailed for 28 months. He was also told to pay a victim surcharge, while his driving record was endorsed.
Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: "This was serious criminal activity. It was an attempt by you to steal in plain sight in the hope no-one would notice what you were doing.
"The values involved were plainly very significant indeed. You have a significant number of previous convictions but they are mainly for low level violence and intimidation offences, including some cases involving your former partner.
"You have battled with drugs in your life, which has plainly affected your mental health. I accept you got into debt and it was that which caused you to get involved in these offences.
"The sad fact of the matter is if you make choices which result in you incurring a significant debt to people involved in criminal activity, it is limited mitigation if you become involved as a consequence. You knew you were committing serious offences which had the potential to yield a very significant value of stolen goods."
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