Man who brazenly posted theft on TikTok jailed after he was found hiding in wardrobe
A man has been jailed for stealing a motorbike before crashing it into a parked car. The judge said he had 'no sympathy' for the brazen criminal, who shared a video of the theft on TikTok.LancsLive reported that Cosworth Flemming, 21, of Griffin Close, Burnley, swiped the KTM motorcycle from a shed in Burnley on July 18, 2025. At Preston Crown Court, it was revealed the owner secured the bike with extra locks, after two men who were collecting an item he had sold on Facebook Marketplace seemed interested in it.At 1.30am, the owner's stepson said he saw a video on TikTok showing the burglars break into the shed. The owner went out to try and find the bike and found two men riding it towards Rawtenstall.Flemming was in charge of the vehicle but lost control and collided with a Seat car. It then veered off the road and crashed into a lamppost, the court heard.The owner of the motorbike confronted the men and pushed Flemming up against a wall. The second man punched him in the face before running away.Flemming was later identified by DNA samples taken from his blood on the motorbike. He was arrested on October 31, hiding in a wardrobe at his house.In a victim impact statement, the owner said his shed and bike had been damaged and he had to pay for repairs. He is more anxious at night, particularly when his CCTV kicks in, he said.He also said the videos of the break-in are still on TikTok, which cause him further anxiety. Flemming pleaded guilty to burglary and aggravated vehicle taking.The court heard he sustained a nasty injury to his forehead when he crashed the bike. The scar now serves as a daily reminder of his actions and consequences.Sentencing, Judge Michael Maher said: "The pair of you crowed about this on TikTok to advertise your ill-gotten gains. You hadn't counted on the owner pursuing you through the streets of Rawtenstall."You and your crony fled into the night but your blood was found on the bike. You were injured in that incident. You won't get any sympathy from me, but neither do you ask for it."He sentenced Flemming to nine months detention for burglary with six months to run concurrently for aggravated vehicle taking. He also imposed a 16 month driving ban.
