Organised gang stole cars worth more than £140,000
AGANG of thieves stole cars worth more than £140,000 by driving them off as the owners were defrosting their windscreens on cold winter mornings.
Cardiff Crown Court heard Stuart Smith and Daniel Niinemae were out on the streets stealing vehicles, while Dominic Hughes was the go-between, taking them to buyer Cameron Mushtaq in Telford.
Andrew Kendall said: “The prosecution says all four defendants conspired together to steal vehicles worth more than £100,000.”
The charge related to a period between December 14, 2018, and January 23 this year, with the incidents happening in and around Newport.
Prosecutors said Roy Philip went out of his home in Brigantine Drive just before 8am on December 14 and found the windscreen of his Honda CR-V was frozen over.
The court heard he turned on the engine and put on the heaters, then went back into his house.
Mr Kendall said: “He returned to his car, but it had gone.”
Jane Hedin woke up at around 8am on January 3 at her address in Risca Road and could not see her black Volkswagen Golf outside.
The prosecutor told the court: “She looked outside and saw that her car
had been stolen.”
The car was later found abandoned in Virginia Close in Caerphilly.
Dorian Robins, of Thornhill Gardens in Rogerstone, Newport, became a victim of the thieves on January 16.
Mr Kendall said: “He went outside and saw that both of his cars – a red Porsche Boxter and a Mercedes ML 250 – were missing.”
The court heard the Mercedes was never recovered, but the Porsche was found the same day abandoned in a car park by Manor Way in Rogerstone.
Prosecutors said John Snow went out to de-ice his grey Audi A5 at 7am on January 23 in Oaktree Drive, Rogerstone. He went back into the house to get his coat and bag while the engine was running.
Mr Kendall said: “As he was coming back out of the house, he saw that his car was being moved off his drive.” It was found abandoned later that morning. Just 15 minutes later another man, James Kelly, turned on the engine of his blue BMW to defrost the windscreen.
The court heard his partner saw a man wearing black clothes reverse the car off the drive and drive off down the street. The vehicle was later found abandoned.
Later that day at 8.50am in Fields Park Road, driving instructor Gary Snelgrove was de-icing his silver Volkswagen Golf.
The car was taken, including his brown leather wallet, containing £700 in cash paid by his students for lessons, in the glove compartment.
Police officers spotted Smith, Niinemae and Hughes in a Mitsubishi Shogun, arrested them and took them to Newport Central police station.
The vehicle was searched and officers found latex gloves, along with instructions about how to pick car ignitions and locks.
The defendants initially denied conspiracy to steal, but changed their pleas on the second day of the trial.
Smith, 37, from Tristan Edwards Place in Merthyr Tydfil, was identified on CCTV following a police appeal.
When he was interviewed, he denied any involvement and said the person in the footage was not him.
His barrister, Kevin Seal, suggested Smith had demonstrated victim empathy. Smith was jailed for 19 months.
Niinemae, 37, from Cader Idris Close in Risca, was recognised by police in a stolen Volkswagen Golf and later caught with the driving instructor’s brown wallet.
David Pinnell, defending, said Niinemae – who was in breach of a suspended sentence – used the money to buy drugs. Niinemae was jailed for 21 months.
Hughes, 28, from Windsor Road in Abertillery, was driving the Mitsubishi Shogun when they were caught.
His barrister, Harry Baker, stressed Hughes had no previous convictions.
He was given an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 22 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, plus five days of a rehabilitation activity.
Mushtaq, 25, from Park Court in Telford, told the police he did not know anything about any of the stolen vehicles. Prosecutors said the vehicles were delivered to him in Telford.
Seamran Kaur Sidhu, defending, told the court his business was struggling and he “took the opportunity to make some quick money”.
Mushtaq was sent to prison for 18 months, suspended for 22 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, plus 35 thinking skills sessions.
Judge Nicola Jones noted the vehicles were “stolen to order” and their total value was £141,900.
Detective Constable Michelle Thorne, of Gwent Police, said: “This sentencing marks the end of a complex investigation into an organised crime gang.”