How reign of terror was ended
IN a reign of terror lasting three months they brought fear and misery to those they targeted.
Scotswood hoodie-turned-career criminal, Ricky Weatherson, and prolific offenders Michael Quinn and Kevin Shippen targeted businesses and cash carriers in a string of violent raids across Tyneside.
And to help carry out their crimes they broke into family homes to steal keys to the cars that would become their getaway vehicles, piling fear and misery on yet more innocent victims.
Meanwhile, accomplices Shaun Leach, Jayne Molloy, Katie Gales and Amy Cooper helped by allowing the gang’s stolen goods to be stored at their homes.
But police caught up with the seven, all from Benwell in Newcastle, after a violent raid at a shop on the city’s West Road, during which the victim was hit with a machete.
After arresting Weatherson and Quinn for the robbery at Ria Money, detectives were able to put together an elaborate jigsaw of clues that would eventually link the gang to a number of other crimes.
Weatherson, Quinn and Shippen have now all been jailed for a total of almost 45 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, while Leach, Molloy, Gales and Cooper have also been sentenced for their roles.
After passing sentence at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, Judge Sarah Mallett gave an official commendation to the team of Northumbria Police detectives, led by Det Insp Angela Hufton and Det Sgt Mark Atherton, who brought the gang to justice. And now Det Sgt Atherton has revealed the inside story of the complex investigation.
He said: “It has been a threemonth reign of terror. The violence increases with each offence.
“In this area you don’t often get this level of offending. I can’t think of another time when we have had a group of offenders being responsible for so many incidents in such a short period of time.
“They have shown absolutely no remorse for any of these crimes. They are clearly dangerous and the people of Newcastle are safer with them in custody.”
Northumbria Police was already investigating a spree of armed robberies, which happened in Newcastle and Wallsend, between December last year and February, before it was established that all might be linked. They included a brazen socalled ‘cash in transit’ heist on Shields Road in Byker, during which a G4S cash carrier was ambushed and hit with a hammer outside Wetherspoons. There was a similar hammer attack outside Heron Foods in Howdon, Wallsend, and a robbery and attempted robbery of a cash van outside Asda in Benwell.
Then on February 19, Weatherson and Quinn carried out the most violent robbery of the series, and the crime would be their downfall.
The pair went into Ria Money, on the West Road, armed with a knife and machete.
Owner Tariq Sheik was working alone in the shop, which deals with overseas money transfers, and the pair demanded he hand over cash.
After Mr Sheik told Quinn he recognised him, he was hit so hard with the machete it broke a bone in his shoulder.
Quinn and Weatherson fled on a motorcycle but were soon arrested after a tip-off to police, and they were found hiding in a garage nearby, Det Sgt Atherton explained.
The pair were charged with the robbery at Ria Money, but detectives began to suspect that they could be involved in something much bigger.
“Very quickly in the week or so afterwards it became apparent they were part of a much bigger conspiracy,” Det Sgt Atherton explained.
“There were armed robberies and cash in transit robberies that were being investigated separately. We started getting some intelligence coming in about them being involved with other cases, we started to get forensics back, and we started doing a lot of work around their telephones, and found out who they were in contact with.
“As a result of that we set up a team of detectives under the banner of Operation Rubix, responsible for looking at this group of people.”
The team discovered there were three main offenders, Weatherson, Quinn and Shippen, but they had a ‘support network’ of people who would let them use houses to store stolen goods.
Detectives began looking over other unsolved crimes that the gang could be responsible for.
“It was about going back to the drawing board,” said Det Sgt Atherton.
Investigations established that the gang had used stolen cars and motorbikes in their robberies. Some were taken off the streets, while others had their keys stolen in house burglaries.
A wall of evidence at Etal Lane Police Station, in Newcastle, shows how detectives were able to link the gang to each of their crimes.
CCTV images showing distinctive clothing were matched up with pictures on Facebook, while mobile phone records were used to trace the offenders’ movements.
The crime spree began just days after Weatherson was released from a sixyear prison sentence, imposed for a conspiracy in which houses were broken into and the keys to high-end cars stolen.
“We believe Weatherson is the ring leader,” said Det Sgt Atherton. “We believe he’s made some contacts in prison.”
Det Sgt Atherton also believes Weatherson and his accomplices initially evaded capture for so long because they were aware of some of the investigation methods police use.
“He [Weatherson] has been involved in the criminal justice system since he was a teenager,” he said. “With every conviction he gets he will know what evidence we will get together.”
“Ricky Weatherson is a dangerous person. With the level of violence there’s no doubt he is dangerous.”
Weatherson, 27, of Rushie Avenue, was handed an extended sentence of 15 years plus four years on licence, and Quinn, 37, of Colston Street, was given 16 years with four years on licence.
Judge Mallett told them: “I’m satisfied that you both had leading roles in this conspiracy.”
Shippen, 41, of Whickham View, was jailed for 13 years and three months.
Cooper, 29, of Broomridge Avenue, admitted allowing Weatherson to store items connected to crimes at her home.
When she went on holiday in February she left Gales, 27, of Coventry Gardens, in charge of her home and stolen items continued to be kept there. Both admitted handling stolen goods
Leach, 33, and his partner Molloy, 29, both of Canning Street, also admitted handling stolen goods. Along with Weatherson, Leach also pleaded guilty to a burglary at a home on Normont Road in Benwell. He was jailed for a total of three and a half years.
Cooper and Gales were each handed two-year community orders.
After hearing how Molloy is a fulltime mum to three young children, the eldest with Downs Syndrome, Judge Mallet agreed to suspend her 12-month prison sentence for two years.