A prolific gang of ram-raiders and thieves who caused havoc across three counties have been brought to justice, with sentences totalling more than 20 years.
Tony Smith, 23, John Mitchell, 20, Alan Smith, 47, and Samuel Mitchell, 19, pleaded guilty to their parts in offenses that caused hundreds of thousands of pounds in losses and damage in January and February 2022.
The ram raiders who are behind bars. Left, from top, Alan Smith, of Ampthill Road, Kempston Hardwick, Bedfordshire, and John Mitchell, of Fern Hill Lane, Harlow, Essex. Right, from top, Tony Smith, of Cadwin Field, Willingham, and Samuel Mitchell, of Elizabeth Way, Harlow, Essex
The foursome targeted both businesses and individuals committing ram raids to gain access to ATMs and cigarettes, as well as stealing vehicles and equipment to commit the offenses.
They targeted a service station along with Tesco stores in St Neots and Ramsey and the Co-op in Yaxley.
Officers trawled CCTV footage and phone records and carried out extensive forensic searches in the complex investigation, which led to them being caught following an ATM theft at the Howard Centre, in Bedford, on February 21.
Tony Smith, of Cadwin Field, Willingham, was charged with conspiracy to commit non-dwelling burglary and conspiracy to steal across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. He was also charged with dangerous driving in relation to the theft in Bedford. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years and four months at Huntingdon Law Courts last Friday (January 20).
John Mitchell, of Fern Hill Lane, Harlow, Essex, was also charged with conspiracy to commit non-dwelling burglary and conspiracy to steal in relation to the Bedford offense and others across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years at a young offenders institution.
Alan Smith, of Ampthill Road, Kempston Hardwick, Bedfordshire, was charged with non-dwelling burglary in relation to the Bedford offence. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years and 10 months.
Samuel Mitchell, of Elizabeth Way, Harlow, Essex, was charged with conspiracy to commit non-dwelling burglary and conspiracy to steal in relation to offenses in Cambridgeshire and Northampton. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years and six months at a young offenders institution.
Det Chief Insp Chris O’Brien said: “These offenders caused havoc and misery across three counties to both businesses and individuals. They stole cash and goods worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and caused a considerable amount of damage and financial loss to the businesses they targeted.
“The group was prolific and I don’t believe they would have stopped offending if they hadn’t been caught.
“This was a challenging investigation and a real team effort between police and partner agencies. I want to thank all my officers and everyone involved for their meticulous hard work and dedication, which has ultimately resulted in these offenders spending time behind bars.
“We take cases like this incredibly seriously and will work tirelessly to bring those responsible before the courts.
“I am so pleased justice has been done today and hope this serves as a warning to other would-be offenders.”
He added: “Ram-raids are most likely to take place during the winter months when the nights are darker and we need the public’s help to report anything suspicious or anything they see that might not seem quite right, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. One call could make all the difference and potentially stop a store or petrol station being targeted.”
Members of the public are encouraged to:
- Ensure their vehicles have working trackers installed – particularly owners of high-performance cars, ‘heavy vehicles’ such as Transits and flat beds which could be used to ram an ATM and plant;
- Consider installing video doorbells or CCTV;
- Report anything suspicious, for example people scoping houses or tampering with number plates;
- Report any instances of people appearing to be paying attention to ATMs, including taking photos or unauthorized people attaching ‘out of order’ signs to give an impression the machine is not working properly;
- Raise concerns about anything that doesn’t feel quite right involving high performance cars, or heavy vehicles traveling in the vicinity of towns and villages during the hours of darkness; other
- Report high-performance or ‘heavy’ vehicles that are not usually in the area and appear to have been left parked for a few days.
Concerns or information can be reported online via the force’s dedicated web chat page or by calling 101, quoting Op ATMosphere. Always call 999 in an emergency.