Four men jailed for cash machine theft at Cheltenham supermarket
Police were pelted with rocks and bricks as they tried to intervene
Last updated 11th Apr 2024
Four men have been jailed for a combined total of more than 30 years for a string of cash machine thefts - including one in Cheltenham.
The group, all from Birmingham, used vehicles stolen in burglaries to carry out more than a dozen attacks on premises across the country between 2022 and 2023.
One of those took place at the Tesco store in Hewlett Road on September 7th last year.
A stolen BMW on false plates pulled up and three of the gang used a saw and crowbars to force their way into a cash machine, while a fourth acted as a lookout.
As police arrived, the gang threw rocks and bricks at officers, forcing one of the officers to crouch behind his car.
Another threw a brick at the front passenger window where an officer was sat.
The gang rammed the police car out of the way before making off.
Officers at West Midlands Police were able to track the group down with the co-operation of five other police forces, including Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Using a combination of mobile phone data, CCTV, vehicle tracking data and witness accounts, the gang was identified and arrested in November and December last year.
At Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, (April 8th), Justin Buckley, aged 40, of Brindle Court, Hall Green, Birmingham was jailed for eight years and four months.
Chris Hands, aged 37, of Addison Road, Kings Heath, was jailed for nine years and six months. In addition to the conspiracy charges, he admitted a charge of burglary.
Reece Pedley, aged 34, Pendeen Road, Yardley Wood, was jailed for seven years and seven months.
John O’Shaughnessy, aged 36, of Playdon Grove, Kings Heath, was jailed for eight years.
DC Edward Costello, from the Major Crime Proactive Team at West Midlands Police, said:
"This was a professional and organised criminal gang who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from businesses, and weren’t afraid to use force to get what they wanted.
"They threatened and used significant force against civilians and police who tried to intervene, and they were persistent.
"On one day, they broke into a Tesco Express near Oxford, but found the cash machine empty. Two hours later, they struck at a Tesco Express in Warwickshire.
"They knew where these machines were and how to access them. Everyone knew their role, whether it was acting as a lookout or cutting into the machines.
"The theft of the equipment obviously compromised the ability of the fire service to protect communities.
"Thankfully, we’ve now brought them to justice and they will be spending many years behind bars."