Gang who used jaws of life and stolen cars to raid cash machines including at Waitrose in Northamptonshire facing prison
A gang who used stolen cars and specialist equipment, such as the jaws of life, to raid cash machines across the country, including in Northamptonshire, are facing prison sentences.
Five men have all pleaded guilty to or been found guilty of conspiracy to burgle, as well as other offences, after they stole nearly £700,000 in a series of raids on cash machines at banks and shops.
West Midlands Police found that they struck nine times using specialist equipment including angle grinders and the jaws of life, which are used by firefighters to rescue people trapped in cars, in a spree lasting nearly a year.
They also chose stolen high-performance cars, using multiple fake number plates each time, to use in their getaways and a flatbed truck, which was reinforced so that they could ram their way into the businesses.
One of the incidents happened on August 23, 2024 at Waitrose in Richmond Road, Towcester.
During the investigation, officers recovered a WhatsApp audio recording, boasting that police had no 'concrete evidence' against the gang. Eleven days later, gang members were arrested.
Detective Sergeant Tom Frenchum, from West Midlands Police, said: “A huge amount of planning and preparation went into these offences and the gang showed a high level of sophistication throughout but our detective worked tirelessly to disrupt them and now put them behind bars.
“The gang had specific roles – some would carry out the ATM attacks, while others would help with the logistics of transporting the stolen vehicles and the specialist cutting equipment.’’
Convictions
- Noel Reilly, aged 46, of Appletrees Crescent, Bromsgrove pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle, handle stolen goods and possess criminal property.
- Simon Pagett, aged 43, of Dartford Road, Bloxwich pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle, handle stolen goods and possess criminal property.
- Oliver Matthews, 39, of Baneberry Drive, Featherstone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle.
On Friday August 8, after a trial lasting more than a two months at Wolverhampton Crown Court, two other gang members were also found guilty.
- Craig Howell, 44, of Hatfield Drive, Wolverhampton, was convicted of conspiracy to burgle, handle stolen goods and possess criminal property.
- Daniel Hickenbottom, 38, of Chantry Avenue, Bloxwich, was convicted of conspiracy to burgle, handle stolen goods and possess.
All five will be sentenced at a later date.