Getaway driver snared by DNA from cigarette

THE getaway driver in a botched cashpoint machine raid was snared by DNA left on a cigarette he dropped from his waiting car.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how Stuart Kendal and his gang drove almost 150 miles to target the ATM in a Turkish barber shop in Hucknall.

Armed with an angle grinder, the group broke into Shak barbers in High Street but failed to get into the ATM inside, which was loaded with £35,000 but protected by an anti-theft smoke cloak device which blows a fog at anyone trying to break into it.

At the time of the raid, the heavily-convicted 39-yearold, of Blackpool, was disqualified from driving.

Handing him a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, Judge Stuart Rafferty said: “Together with others you travelled a long way to commit this offence of burglary and quite why you chose these premises is shrouded in mystery.”

The judge added: “You were engaged as the getaway driver and the others made a determined effort but they failed.

“You pleaded guilty at an early stage and you have been waiting for a long time and that is not your fault as your co-defendant took it to trial.”

Luc Chignell, prosecuting, said the burglary took place at around 4am on September 14, 2021. He said Kendal and others drove to Hucknall from Blackpool to deliberately target the barbers which at the time had a cashpoint inside it but no longer does.

The prosecutor said: “They tried to steal the ATM but it was fitted with an anti-theft smoke cloak.

“They used an angle grinder to break into the barbers and left, having stolen £260 from the till. If they had been successful they could have stolen £35,000.

“Mr Kendal’s role was the getaway driver and he was identified by a cigarette deposited while he was sitting in the driver’s seat.”

The defendant, of Rathlyn Avenue, pleaded guilty to burglary and driving while disqualified and has 25 convictions for 45 offences on his criminal record including dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.

Thomas Worsfold, defending, said his client pleaded guilty at the earliest available opportunity and had been on a curfew for the equivalent of a 15-month sentence. When Judge Rafferty indicated he would not be sending Kendal immediately to prison the barrister had nothing further to add in mitigation.