Burglary gang steal more than £329k of cars and other items from 15 homes

Doorbell footage shows the moment a burglary gang member broke into a home - with the group stealing a total of more than £329k of cars and other items from fifteen homes.

The gang carried out a series of burglaries in order to steal high-value cars - targeting homes in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and as far south as Warwickshire between September 2020 and January 2021.

After breaking into properties, they stole keys to vehicles and fitted them with false number plates - sometimes within minutes of the burglary taking place.

Vehicles were then either sold on or used to commit further offences, with many taken to South Yorkshire.

The gang members burgled a total of fifteen homes and attempted to break into a further seven properties. It has been estimated the total cost of the vehicles and other items stolen was more than £329,000.

Nine offenders were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on January 16 and 17.

Cory Heald, aged 21, of Oxclose Lane, Arnold, was identified as one of the driving forces behind the conspiracy with an organisational role within the gang. Heald was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to conceal criminal property.

Dylan Stone, aged 22, of Manor Road, Eastwood, was another key member of the gang. Detectives found evidence of how he had boasted about stealing cars in rap lyrics he wrote. He was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison after admitting conspiracy to commit burglary.

Benjamin Wild also played a leading part in the group, obtaining false plates and disposing of stolen vehicles. The 25-year-old, of HMP Wellingborough, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and was sentenced to six years and two months in prison.

Declan Russell was shown to be using taxis to travel to and from the locations where car key burglaries took place. Russell, aged 25, of HMP Wellingborough, was sentenced to six years and two months in prison after admitting conspiracy to commit burglary.

Jordan Chaplin appears to have been recruited to the gang by Heald and offended exclusively with him. The 23-year-old, of Nottingham Road, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to conceal criminal property and was sentenced to three years and five months.

Cameron Mickle, aged 27, of Hoe View Road, Cropwell Bishop, provided a base for other members of the gang to hide out and transported them to the location of burglaries. Mickle was sentenced to two years and eight months, having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary.

Reece Stephens, aged 23, of Norwell Place, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conceal criminal property for his role which involved the acquisition of number plates and the sale of vehicles post-theft. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

Jamie Bentley, aged 34, of HMP Nottingham, was arrested within 15 minutes of a break-in. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a burglary and conspiracy to conceal criminal property and was sentenced to six years and four months in prison.

Aynsley Rayner, aged 31, of Hoe View Road, Cropwell Bishop, assisted the gang by providing a base, booking them taxis and providing mobile phone SIM cards. She pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and received a two-year sentence, suspended for two years.