Thugs jailed after more than 160k worth of high-value cars stolen in West Yorkshire and Lancashire – ExaminerLive

Three thugs have been jailed after more than 160,000 worth of cars were stolen in burglaries across West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

Patrick Connors, Thomas Stainsby and Joseph Howard were locked up after a series of hanoi burglaries and attempted burglaries in September and October 2017.

Leeds Crown Court heard the group targeted homes with high-value cars parked in the driveway and were eventually caught after they ordered taxis in a bid to evade police.

Two other men - Thomas Connors and Leon Brown - received suspended sentences after handling goods that had been stolen during the conspiracy.

Prosecutor Camille Morland said the first burglary took place on Rydale Avenue in Oldham between 8pm on September 11 and 2am on 12, 2017.

A couple were asleep when their back door was forced and three sets of car keys were taken.

An 18,000 Seat Leon parked in the driveway was driven off and fitted with false plates.

The second burglary took place on Oakeneaves Avenue in Burley, Leeds, between 11pm on September 12 and 5am on September 13, 2017.

A family were asleep when the lock on the patio doors was snapped.

Three sets of car keys and multiple vehicles were stolen, including a black Mercedes C30d worth 30,000, a blue Mercedes Sport worth 20,000 and an orange Ford Fiesta GT worth 17,000.

Watches, jeans and cash were also stolen from the property.

A witness described seeing Thomas Connors fitting the Mercedes C30d with false plates in Bradford.

The vehicles were then used in an attempted burglary carried out in Leeds and burglaries carried out in Liversedge and Brighouse several nights later.

Just before 2am on September 15, 2017, the Seat Leon pulled into Greenbanks Drive in Horsforth, Leeds .

Three males then tried to get into a house where a family slept and there were keys to a high-value vehicle while one of them cut off the CCTV.

At about 3.20am, a man who had an Audi A3 parked in his driveway on Milton Road in Liversedge realised that someone had damaged his back door and got into his kitchen.

At 4.55am, a couple who had four vehicles, including an Audi RS4 and a Renault Trafic van, parked outside their home on Imperial Close in Brighouse were awoken by a loud bang.

The keys to the vehicles had not been taken, only a purse.

At about 5am, police spotted the Seat Leon driving at speed in the Halifax area and chased it until it was crashed near the Stump Cross pub.

Patrick Connors, Stainsby and one other male ran to the BP garage on Bradford Road before getting a taxi to Odsal Top.

Police followed the taxi and the trio ran off, with officers managing to catch Patrick Connors in a nearby playing field.

Meanwhile, Howard got out of the Seat Leon and ran off to hide in a garden.

About 50 minutes later, he also phoned himself a taxi and got into it before being arrested.

Between 11pm on October 13 and 3am on October 14, 2017, a house on Healey Green Lane, Kirkheaton was broken into.

The keys to a Ford Fiesta, which was worth 3,000 and parked outside the property, were stolen and it was driven off.

Between 10pm on October 13 and 7am on October 14, 2017, an outhouse at Holly House Farm in Mirfield was broken into.

Eggs were thrown around and four horse saddles worth more than 4,000 were stolen from a metal locker.

At 3.30pm on October 14, 2017, police spotted Brown in a woman's Ford Focus in Bradford and he ran away.

The four saddles were found in the car and after being detained he said he had gotten the saddles with 'one of his horses'.

Patrick Connors pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and was convicted of criminal damage and dangerous driving.

He has four previous convictions for seven offences, including burglary, going equipped for burglary and theft of a vehicle.

Stainsby and Howard both pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary.

Howard also pleaded guilty to three counts of handling stolen goods in relation to motor vehicles stolen between April 2016 and February 2017. These included a Nissan Juke worth 18,500 stolen in Brighouse, a Ford Fiesta worth 17,000 stolen in Leeds and a VW Polo worth 7,000 stolen in Cleckheaton.

Howard also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm.

Stainsby has 23 previous convictions for 37 offences, including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, escaping from lawful custody and possession of cannabis.

Howard has five previous convictions for five offences, including burglary and dangerous driving.

Thomas Connors and Brown both pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods.

Thomas Connors has three previous convictions for six offences, including burglary, going equipped for burglary and interfering with a vehicle.

Brown has six previous convictions, including possession of an offensive weapon, possession of cannabis and a section 47 assault.

Patrick Connors, 22, of no fixed abode, was jailed for four years and nine months.

Stainsby, 30, of Ribbleton Grove, Bradford, was jailed for four years and one month.

Howard, 23, of Maple Avenue, Thornbury, Bradford, was jailed for three years and 11 months.

Thomas Connors, 23, of no fixed abode, was handed a 21-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

Brown, 33, of Birches Green Road, Erdington, Birmingham, was handed a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

See the article here:
Thugs jailed after more than 160k worth of high-value cars stolen in West Yorkshire and Lancashire - ExaminerLive