A gang of professional burglars stole guns to sell to the criminal underworld.
Shaun Rimmer and Adam Hastings led a "team" of crooks which targeted homes where firearms including shotguns were kept, hoping to pinch them "for criminal use". They and fellow burglar Callum Martin also ransacked dozens of secluded homes to steal up to tens of thousands of pounds of jewellery per time.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that Merseyside Police's dedicated burglary unit Operation Castle launched Operation Coliseum in order to investigate 37 separate burglaries which were committed between January and April 2021 across Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire and North Wales. Homes in Formby, Birkdale, Southport, Blundellsands and Hightown were among those targeted with cash, jewellery, watches and vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of pounds stolen.
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Michael Scholes, prosecuting, described how a "team of highly-organised professional burglars" had been responsible, with Hastings and Rimmer the "main participants". They were "undoubtedly in control of the entire operation", while both were "present for the vast majority" of the break-ins.
The organised crime group had access to "high-powered" stolen cars which they disguised using cloned number plates, resulting in one innocent woman being suspected of motoring offences after they used her registration number. Meanwhile, CCTV footage showed the raiders wearing face masks or balaclavas during burglaries in order to disguise their identities.
The "highly forensically aware conspirators" also avoided using their mobile phones for "significant periods" before and after their offending in order to avoid being linked to the crimes by cell siting data. The break-ins were usually committed in the late afternoon or early evening, with all occurring before 7pm as Hastings and Martin had been on electronically-monitored curfews at the time and needed to be home before then.
Goods worth in the region of £60,000 were taken from one house in Formby, with £95,000 of jewellery stolen from an address in Formby. One theft in Cheshire saw a £55,000 Mercedes stolen, while the gang also travelled as far afield as Norfolk to target one property.
Mr Scholes said: "The crown’s contention is that some premises were targeted because of the likelihood that firearms would be present, and at the very least those involved showed no reluctance to remove firearms when available. It is contended that the intention was for the weapons to be made available by resale or otherwise for criminal use with the attendant and inevitable high risk of death or serious physical harm in the event they were utilized."
Rimmer, of no fixed address but from Netherton, admitted having been involved in 22 of the burglaries. Frank Dillon, defending the 29-year-old, said: "Mr Rimmer has demonstrated remorse and reflection for his wrongdoing - he has done what he can to bring closure."
Matthew Buckland, appearing on behalf of Hastings, told the court: "He is a man with a lamentable record. On the outside, he leaves his partner and young child and it will be some time before that child has the benefit of her father to assist her again."
Meanwhile, 33-year-old Martin confessed to his part in five burglaries on two dates after his release from prison on licence in late February 2021. His counsel Charles Lander said: "When he became involved in this, he had already got himself back into class A drugs.
"That is the reason, when asked to join this ongoing conspiracy, he joined in. Stupidly, when asked to join in on those two days, he did and he is facing the consequences.
"He is determined to lead a law-abiding lifestyle. He is sick of custody - he has a seven-year-old daughter and he is determined to find lawful employment."
Rimmer admitted conspiracy to commit burglary, three counts of possession of a shotgun without a certificate and theft of a motor vehicle. He was jailed for eight years and nine months, to be served consecutively to an eight-year sentence imposed in Scotland earlier this year.
Hastings, also of no fixed address and originally from Netherton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and three counts of possession of a shotgun without a certificate. The 31-year-old was handed 10 years and nine months.
Martin, formerly of Bootle, admitted conspiracy to commit burglary and three counts of possession of a shotgun without a certificate. He was locked up for four years and five months.
Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "Shotguns and firearms were taken in some of the burglaries, and that is a deeply concerning aspect. Clearly, the fact that you were prepared to steal such dangerous weapons - which could only have been intended for transfer within the criminal community - is a material aggravating factor."
Detective Inspector Darren Hankin said following the sentencing: "The sentencing of these three men has come on the back of an 18-month investigation, where it was a huge team effort. There has been some exceptional investigative work that has led to these sentences, in particular the efforts of Detective Constable Neil Jones.
"The Operation Castle team has spent considerable time carrying out enquiries in relation to these burglaries, and I hope this sentencing brings some comfort to the victims. We understand that burglary often has a massive impact on victims.
"It can be a really personal and invasive crime, and victims can struggle to come to terms with offenders having entered their homes and stolen personal items, which don’t always have huge monetary value but on a personal level can be irreplaceable. Key to these successes can often be information from those communities targeted, so I would continue to ask people to report anything suspicious, and come forward with any information you may have seen or heard."
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