Thou shalt not steal!
Prolific lead roof raiders who left CofE with £2m bill jailed for 22 years
A GANG of thieves who caused more than £2million of damage stripping lead from church roofs has been jailed.
The four men picked their rural targets online then travelled round the country to raid them in the early hours.
Under cover of darkness, they climbed on to the roofs of dozens of churches before ripping off large amounts of lead.
They sold the metal on as scrap to a recycling business within hours, receiving thousands of pounds into their bank accounts.
Their two-year spree caused devastation to many villages where churches are the epicentre of the community.
Now the thieves, all Romanians who lived in the West Midlands, have been jailed for a total of 22 years. Stripping the lead not only damaged the roofs but led to rainwater getting inside.
The gang also wrecked gravestones when rolled-up lead was thrown to the ground. Many churches were left to foot the repair bills as they could only get insurance cover for damage up to £7,500.
Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, said: ‘These defendants played a hugely significant part in an organised crime group whose target was lead sheeting, which can be found on the roofs of churches around the country.
‘These buildings not only provided a focal point for Church of England services but they provide a hub for the wider community.
‘The total damage and loss to the churches was in excess of £2million.’
The thefts occurred between May 2018 and March 2020.
The gang caused £250,000 worth of damage at St Bartholomew’s at Covenham in Lincolnshire.
Grade 1-listed St Mary The Virgin Church in Gamlingay, Cambridgeshire, was left ‘open to the sky’ after its lead was removed, with repairs estimated at more than £100,000.
Lead valued at £50,000 was stolen from St Andrew’s Church in the Lincolnshire village of Billingborough. The thieves also hit Somerset, North Yorkshire, Wiltshire, Suffolk, Leicestershire and Derbyshire.
They were arrested after four police forces set up a joint investigation called Operation History.
Constantin Motescu, 32, of Telford, got six and a half years’ jail after admitting 23 charges of theft. Paul Buica, 25, of Birmingham, admitted 16 thefts and was given six years and Mihai Birtu, 24, of Evesham, got three years and seven months after admitting 14 thefts.
Laurentiu Sucea, 38, also of Birmingham, admitted 13 thefts and was jailed for six and a half years.
Detectives discovered the gang selected their targets online.
They used hire vehicles many of which had tracking devices which provided evidence for the police as to exactly where they had been.
The four men were in the UK legally to work, the court heard.
Motescu has previous convictions in Italy, France, Romania, Spain and Belgium. Sucea and Buica have convictions in Italy and Romania.
Jailing them at Lincoln Crown Court, Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight said: ‘This was an organised, sophisticated and persistent operation.
‘The harm was high because of the heavy consequential financial losses occasioned by the thefts, the impact on the local and wider community and the damage to heritage assets.’
A hearing to confiscate their assets will take place at a later date.
Detective Chief Inspector Jon Shield said: ‘It is still unclear what these defendants spent the money on and investigations are ongoing.’
Mark Harrison, from Historic England, said: ‘The metal stolen will have historic and cultural value and its removal leads to irreparable damage to protected heritage buildings, which is why tackling this problem is so important.’