A gang of thieves broke into family homes as children slept to steal luxury cars including Audis, Mercedes and BMWs. Daniel Scollins, Lucas Hunter and Bradley Anderson caused 'misery' as part of a plot which saw £500,000 worth of high end vehicles being stolen from people's drives in up to 21 burglaries across Greater Manchester over a month long crime spree.
The gang used blowtorches to burn locks and gain access to people's homes, before stealing car keys as well as designer handbags and jewellery. On one night in January the gang struck five times in one night, in Prestwich, Boothstown, Worsley, Davyhulme and Harpurhey.
Families were left traumatised by their ordeals. "They talk about feeling on edge, paranoid, shaking,” the judge said. One woman was left too scared to live in her own home following the burglary and wanted to move.
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"That is the sort of impact you had on people," Judge David Swinnerton told the trio. Children were sleeping in their homes during at least three of the break-ins, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Expensive cars were stolen from homes in Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Manchester, Tameside and Lancashire between December 28, 2021 and January 31.
The stolen cars were then used in further burglaries. Only three of the cars have been recovered. Detectives made a key breakthrough after they discovered the first car they stole, a £33,000 Audi A3 Quattro, had a tracking device.
The gang used the Audi in subsequent break ins and the car tracked their movements. Cell site data from their mobile phones also showed the thieves were at the scene at the time of burglaries.
Hunter and Anderson were arrested at a yard in Openshaw on February 2. Scollins was caught about a week later. Officers believe the gang also used walkie talkies as part of the plot.
Dad-of-one Anderson, 28, of Leighton Street, Boston; former bouncy castle businessman Hunter, 29, of Dalham Avenue, Blackley; and convicted burglar Scollins, 31, of Rydell House, Hyde, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle. Hunter and Anderson were both jailed for eight years three months, while Scollins was locked up for seven-and-a-half years.
The court heard the trio were not present at all the burglaries. Hunter pleaded guilty on the basis of committing 13 burglaries and two attempted burglaries, Anderson admitted involvement in eight burglaries and Scollins accepted involvement in 16 of the raids.
But the judge told them: "You were in it together." Paul Hodgkinson, defending dad-of-four Hunter, said the defendant had 16 previous convictions but had decided to turn his back on crime. He set up a bouncy castle business but lost his driving licence for having two bald tyres and became involved to 'support his family'.
Brendan O’Leary, for Anderson, said he had a difficult upbringing and racked up 34 previous convictions. Mr O'Leary said Anderson recognises 'it is time for him to wake up'.
Scollins’ barrister Adam Watkins said the defendant, who has 42 previous convictions, pleaded guilty at an early stage. He became involved after losing his job and building up a drug debt, Mr Watkins said.
After the hearing, Detective Constable Allan Barker, of GMP's Serious and Organised Crime Group, said: "It is difficult to describe the misery and anguish this group inflicted on a number of families across the region over such a short period of time. They committed a series of invasive and ruinous crimes on innocent people, and they quite rightly have faced justice today after what was a complex and dynamic investigation by our team.
"We have clearly demonstrated here that no matter how organised and cunning a gang may think they are, we will use all the experience and resources we have to ensure that they are caught and taken off our streets.” Superintendent Chris Foster, GMP's lead on tackling burglary, added: "Burglary is a top priority for us in Greater Manchester and the public will know that we will have an officer attend every report we receive of it so that we can exhaust every viable line of enquiry to bring offenders to justice.
"This investigation is a superb example of the everyday work happening across GMP to ensure that those who steal – or conspire to steal – are identified and brought before the courts so that they are put behind bars."
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