Gang stole £300k of cigarettes in burglary blitz across Midlands
THREE burglars carried out raids across Leicestershire and four other counties, hitting many of the bigname supermarkets.
The gang embarked on a fourmonth crime spree and raided many stores including those belonging to the Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons.
The trio, two of whom are cousins, carried out burglaries and attempted burglaries in the same Leicestershire village on the same night.
During their burglary blitz, they stole £300,000 worth of cigarettes and caused more than £115,000 of damage.
Otis William Barrett, 26, previously of Banbury Close, Northampton; Matthew Lawrence Brown, 30, previously of Crow Lane, Northampton, and his cousin Terrance Mark Brown, 25, previously of Glebeland Road, Northampton, all pleaded guilty to 52 offences which happened between January and May this year.
They burgled the Co-op on Lutterworth Road in Blaby on April 1 and then tried to break into Howkins Garage in Lutterworth Road, North Kilworth, on the same night.
The next day they burgled the Tesco store in The Square in Countesthorpe, and on the same night tried to break into the Co-op in Main Street in the same village.
There has been justice for the victims who have paid the price of this trio’s destructive behaviour Det Con Howe
The thieves stole cigarettes in a raid on the Co-op in Coventry Road in Market Harborough on February 2. They also burgled Walcote Service Station in Lutterworth Road, Walcote, on March 21.
The offences happened across several counties including Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire, and involved the three men forcing their way into well-known stores.
Their targets included some of the major supermarket chains but also smaller shops, including independent newsagents.
They stole thousands of pounds
worth of items from them and, on some occasions, the trio would attack several stores in one night, some of them in different counties.
To gain entry to each premises, they forced their way in using power tools and crowbars, wearing balaclavas and gloves to hide their identities.
Stolen cars and numerous stolen number plates were also used in order to evade police detection.
On one occasion they targeted the clothing store Thackerays, in Northampton, twice in one week, stealing thousands of pounds worth of designer clothing each time.
Their offending carried on
throughout lockdown and finally, on May 1, they were caught by the police after burgling Tesco Express in Coppice Drive, Northampton. All three men pleaded guilty to the offences at Northampton Crown Court, with Barrett jailed for six years and four months and the two Brown cousins handed six years each.
On sentencing, Judge David Herbert said they were “determined, professional and a serious calibre of criminal”.
Lead investigator, Detective Constable Emma Howe, said: “This commercial burglary series was undertaken by very organised, pro
fessional criminals, who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of goods from commercial premises across the region.
“The Serious and Organised Crime Team have been working relentlessly in order to bring this group of criminals to justice and I’m really pleased they have now been convicted. This was a very long and difficult investigation I am pleased has concluded with the right result.
“Countless commercial burglaries have been prevented as a result and I’m glad there has been justice for the victims of these 52 crimes who have had to pay the price for this trio’s destructive behaviour.”