A man drove from Bristol to the Lake District and stole a boat from Windermere after swimming to it to get on board.
Joshua Stawrowski, 32, of Bristol appeared before magistrates in Carlisle and admitted the theft of a boat from Bowness Bay on June 28 2024.
On the evening of June 27 2024 Stawrowski travelled to Cumbria in his vehicle, towing an empty boat trailer.
Under cover of darkness Stawrowski parked on the west side of the lake in the Harrowslack area and swam across Windermere to Bowness Bay.
Stawrowski climbed onboard the boat and took it across the lake to his own trailer.
He then removed it from the area and transported the stolen boat to the outskirts of Bristol where he concealed it in a friend’s yard.
In order to evade police, Stawrowski used a stolen number plate to disguise the identify of his own car.
Cumbria police’s South Lakes Neighbourhood Policing Team’s investigated the crime as part of Operation Headway, a dedicated operation to tackle the theft of boats and related equipment in the county.
The investigation was led by community beat officer PC Ben Lawson.
PC Lawson worked with Avon and Somerset Police to locate and arrest Stawrowski.
In under seven days from the offence occurring, Stawrowski was found, arrested, transported to Cumbria, interviewed and the stolen property recovered.
Inspector Ross Woods, of South Lakes Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “I hope this result provides reassurance to the community that swift action is being taken against those who target personal property in our rural communities.
“The theft of boats and vehicles will not be tolerated and those that engage in such activities will face a police investigation and prosecution.
“This should also serve as a strong message to criminals who make the effort to travel into our county to commit crime. We are committed to bringing offenders to justice and we will hold you to account no matter how far away you live.”
