Ram-raid pair jailed for attacks on stores

TWO ram raiders have been jailed for causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to Spar and Co-op stores in Somerset.

Clive Kemery and Simon Norris used stolen vehicles for the smash-and-grab raids in Frome and Shepton Mallet.

They stole alcohol and tobacco during the raids and left a trail of destruction. Both men appeared at Taunton Crown Court and were each sentenced to four years for the burglaries.

Kemery, of no fixed abode, and Norris, of Culverhill, Frome, each admitted conspiracy to carry out burglaries and one attempted burglary.

The ram-raid spree started on November 24, 2021 when a stolen VW Golf reversed at speed into the front window of a Spar shop in Frome. Tobacco and alcohol worth £4,500 was stolen along with a safe.

Prosecutor Gregory Gordon said damage to the store was about £11,600. There was also a loss in trade of £4,400 while repairs were made.

The Golf was used again two days later to smash into a Co-op store in Frome. Kemery was driving the vehicle that struck at about 3.30am. Tobacco worth £6,800 was taken. Damage to the store amounted to £40,000 and the store expected to lose £13,000 in business.

Three days later a Peugeot 307, bought using false information linked to the defendants, was used as a getaway car in an attempted raid at the Co-op in Radstock. Kemery used a sledgehammer to bash at the shutters of the store before the pair left empty-handed.

The final raid happened on November 30 at a Co-op in Shepton Mallet. A third stolen car was used to drive into the store and a small amount of alcohol taken. The pair caused £19,400 worth of damage to the store which had to close for repairs.

Mr Gordon said the defendants were identified by a mixture of CCTV from the stores, distinctive footprints left at the scene, DNA in the cars and phone data analysis putting them in the right place at the right time.

Nikki Coombe, defending Kemery, said he had endured a very difficult childhood, partly in care, and had started taking drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. He has 96 previous crimes to his name, including many for burglary, robbery and taking vehicles.

Will Rose, defending Norris, said he also had a “thoroughly miserable” start to life and had mixed with the wrong crowd. He had been using heroin for 32 years and had tried but failed to stop. He has 182 crimes on his record.