A man involved in a drive-off in a car with stolen number plates was caught after he bragged about the offence.
Daniel Spriggs stole the plates from a Vauxhall Corsa at Old Whittington and fitted them to a Ford Fiesta, Chesterfield magistrates heard.
The next day, £53 worth of fuel was put in the Fiesta at a filling station in High Street, Bolsover, by a passenger who then jumped into the car and it was driven away.
Becky Mahon, prosecuting, said: “Police were informed that Daniel Spriggs had been bragging to friends that he was responsible for the offence.
“When police realised he owned a Fiesta they arrested him.”
Spriggs, 21, told police he was driving around with friends and a passenger took the front plate from the Corsa.
Co-accused Sam Reddish, 19, helped to fix the stolen plates.
“They were removed after the offence and set on fire,” said Ms Mahon, adding a girl aged under 18 had been warned by police for her part in the theft of the plates.
Spriggs, of Racecourse Road, off Sheffield Road, and Reddish, of Castleton Grove, Inkersall, admitted making off without payment for fuel on October 1. Spriggs further admitted theft of number plates.
Spriggs was ordered to do 60 hours unpaid work and Reddish was handed 40 hours.
Each must pay a £60 surcharge to a victims-of-crime fund, with £85 costs.
Solicitor John Kavanagh said in mitigation he understood that both defendants had already paid £20 in compensation to the victims.