A father-of-two says his family have been left ‘scared to death’ after two brazen thugs tried to steal his wife’s car from their family home.

Darren Driver, 47, was sitting in his Newton home on Hallbottom Street as his wife Heather left for work to pick up their 18 year-old son Jacob.

The 43-year old opened the door to find two men standing around her Fiat 500 and shouted for her husband’s assistance. 

Darren ran to grab his trusty tree lopper’ to defend himself and headed outside in an attempt to scare them off.

He said that it was a normal Friday night. His wife went to the Chippy for tea, and Grace, Grace’s 14-year-old daughter, was upstairs looking at something.

“My son rings my mum at 9.40pm to pick me up from work. She gets her keys, opens her front door to the porch, and sees two men around her car.

“They’re screaming at her, “stay in your house, we just want to have the car”, so I grabbed my branch lopper to defend me – the end fell apart so it was just a big stick – and they ran away.

Heather Driver opened her door, preparing to pick up her 18-year-old son from work on October 22, when she was presented with two car jackers trying to break into her Fiat 500 on Hallbottom Street, in Newton

Heather Driver opened her front door as she was about to pick up her 18 year-old son from work. On October 22, Heather Driver was confronted by two car jackers who tried to steal her Fiat 500, on Hallbottom Street, Newton.

Father-of-two Darren Driver, 47 (pictured), scared off the two men, emerging from his house with a tree lopper in hand, which he waved at the intruders

47-year-old father-of-two Darren Driver (pictured) frightened the men by emerging from his home with a tree lopper in his hand. He waved at the intruders

“Then they came back and tried to get the OBD Reader from the front seat, and smashed it against the front window.

Fortunately, one of Darren’s neighbors came out at this point and was able help him chase them off for good. However, the family was shaken and worried that they might try to return later that night.

The Fiat was still salvageable by the family, who were able to transport it to a relative’s home and keep it there until it could be repaired.

Although the family’s house was burglarized around six years ago, it is the first time they’ve ever been the victims of car crime. They have lived in the area for more 15 years.

Darren stated that he has never had any kind of injury, such as a broken window or scrape.

“It’s just frightening, they don’t give any damn, it’s their property so they don’t care.

“It was a bit ordeal, it wasn’t something you’d expect at 9:45 on Friday. People are still coming back to work or heading out for dinner, but if it were the early hours of the day they would have been able come and go without being noticed.

“If they had 30 seconds more they would have driven the car away.

“It’s one those that gives me the fear of retribution most than anything, my child’s scared to death, and my wife’s scared to death. It’s just dealing now with the aftermath.

Darren was able scare the pair off the car by going to get his tree lopper’.

The Driver family say they no longer feel safe at home, following the attempted theft of Grace's Fiat 500 from the driveway

After Grace’s Fiat 500 was stolen from their driveway, the Driver family says they feel unsafe at home.

He thought that would end the trouble, but the criminals jumped into a car, reversed it down the road and almost hit him before getting out to try again.

The third attempt was made by one of the men, who broke the window of the car, looking for something inside. Darren, however, was able to chase them away empty handed with the help his neighbor.

The crime was not committed and no one was killed, but the family was still shaken by the violence. 

Darren said that the violence was absurd and that they were so brazen. Normally, a thief will run away if they are disturbed but to return twice after being disturbed by a very big guy with a large stick is a sign of some brass.

“They said that they just wanted the car” but it’s not yours, so what gives you the right of taking it?

“It’s my wife’s pride and joy. We wash it every weekend. She loves it. It’s so frustrating.

“Fortunately, I was there, but if my spouse was on her own that vehicle would be gone and we would have to go out looking for it.

Greater Manchester Police were contacted for comment.