Conspiracy for ram raids
Five men have appeared in court for conspiracy after ram raids on 11 ATMS, including one at Nutbourne.
A group of men conspired over a series of devastating ram raids across Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.
Shops and service stations were smashed open and ATM machines seized in a lengthy campaign of criminality last year. Among the shops hit were premises in Nutbourne and Billingshurst.
Now three men arrested as part of police investigations into the 11 raids have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burglary of premises with intent to steal ATM machines and their contents.
However police have not been able to bring the whole crime group to justice, with ‘persons unknown’ also listed on the indictment as being involved in the conspiracy.
Two of the ATM conspirators also pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob an address in Guildford alongside two other men.
All five men appeared at Hove Crown Court last Wednesday in front of Judge Jeremy Gold QC.
Jason Mobey, 41, of Macdonald Road, Farnham, ranted about being ‘set up’ and accused persons unknown of ‘blackmail’ as he loudly pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle shops for their ATMS.
Les Keet, 29, of Cobbet’s Close, Guildford, and Jimmy Shea, 24, of Nursery Road, Alton, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burglary in relation to the ATMS.
Shea had to appear in the dock after the others had already been dealt with for his own safety, the court heard.
According to the prosecution the conspiracy took place between May and December last year.
In his guilty plea, Keet said he only accepted taking part in the conspiracy from September 21 onwards, the court heard.
Between July and November last year police linked 11 burglaries and cash machine thefts:
1. July 9, 1.20am – Tesco Express, Ridgway Road, Farnham
2. August 14, 2am – C0-op, Wych Hill, Woking
3. August 17, 3am – Halifax, West Street, Farnham 4. September 9, 2.45am – Coop, Rudgwick
5. September 19, 4.25am – Nutbourne Service Station, Nutbourne
6. September 21, 3am – Sleaford Service Station, Bordon, Hampshire 7. October 3, 1.30am – Co-op, Hambledon Road, Denmead, Hampshire 8. October 12, 4.20am – Sainsbury’s Local, High Street, Billingshurst
9. November 4, 4.43am – Lloyds Bank, Ockham Road South, East Horsley
10. November 5, 4.30am – Tesco Express, Vale Way, Kingsworthy, Winchester
11. November 17, 4.03am – HSBC, High Street, Alton
No charges in relation to who actually carried out the raids are being pursued at this time, the CPS confirmed.
Mobey and Keet also pleaded guilty to being part of another criminal conspiracy alongside two other men: Eric Summerfield, 63, of Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, and Melvyn Beech, 47, of Kingston Road. The four men admitted conspiring to rob a Guildford address between December 6 and 9.
All other charges in relation to the raids and robbery conspiracies were left to lie on file.
The five men will appear at Hove Crown Court for sentencing in June.