Jailed: Black Country burglars 'saw Wales as easy target' and raided shops and garages
Two Black Country men have been jailed and another pair received suspended sentences for their roles in what a judge described as a “campaign of burglary” across six English and Welsh counties.
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Andrew Bell, 53, of Princess Road, Oldbury, and Jason Thomas, 44, of Queen Street, Dudley, were both jailed for two years at Mold Crown Court on Monday.
Judge Niclas Parry told them: "The matters are too serious for that not to be immediate.”
Sean Thomas, 30, of Poplar Crescent, Dudley, and Brad Oakley, 24, of Willow Road, Dudley, each received 18-month prison sentences, suspended for two years, with 250 hours of unpaid work.
They must observe overnight curfews for three months.
The four were dealt with for plotting to burgle commercial premises in the Midlands and Wales nearly five years ago. The prosecution said they travelled by car at night and the loss totalled £66,000.
Judge Parry told the defendants: "You thought Wales would be an easy target.”
He said sometimes the raiders travelled in convoy, carrying crowbars and a bin to steal cigarettes. “The total loss was a staggering £66,000 in 46 days,” the judge remarked.
The gang's victims included shopkeepers and garage owners.
