Gang who stole Cambridgeshire cash machines using angle grinders and jaws of life jailed
A gang of thieves who stole nearly £700,000 in a series of raids on cash machines at banks and shops across the country – including in Cambridgeshire – has been handed lengthy prison sentences.
Police said the gang struck nine times using specialist equipment including angle grinders and the jaws of life, which are used by firefighters to rescue people trapped in cars, in a spree lasting nearly a year.
The gang of five chose stolen high-performance cars, using multiple fake number plates each time, to use in their getaways.
They even used a flatbed truck, which was reinforced so that they could ram their way into the businesses.
Along with Cambridgeshire, the gang struck in police areas including West Mercia, Leicestershire, Avon and Somerset, Bedfordshire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Northamptonshire and Staffordshire.
West Midlands Police said the gang’s downfall came when they booked out two holiday lets in Cumbria to act as a base of operations while they struck in the county on three consecutive days, from 11 August 2024.
They forced open cash machines at three shops, stealing more than £128,000 in the process, using a stolen Audi as the getaway vehicle.
But a police officer spotted the gang’s stolen Audi being transported on a low loader back to the Midlands.
The transporter was stopped and the driver Daniel Hickenbottom was arrested. His job was to transport the stolen vehicles before and after the crimes on a low loader to avoid detection.
Noel Reilly, Craig Howell and Simon Pagett would plan and carry out the raids, buying clothing to wear on the break ins and arriving in stolen cars with the right tools to break into the cash machines.
Oliver Matthews was the owner of Bloxwich Resprays, where the gang would store their stolen vehicles and use as a base. He would drive around the country after crimes to assist the gang.
The convictions
Craig Howell, 44, of Hatfield Drive, Wolverhampton, was convicted of conspiracy to burgle, handle stolen goods and possess criminal property. He was jailed for 10 years.
Noel Reilly, aged 46, of Appletrees Crescent, Bromsgrove pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle, handling stolen goods and possessing criminal property. He was jailed for eight years and six months.
Simon Pagett, aged 43, of Dartford Road, Bloxwich pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle, handling stolen goods and possessing criminal property. He was also jailed for eight years and six months.
Oliver Matthews, 39, of Baneberry Drive, Featherstone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle. He was jailed for 40 months.
Daniel Hickenbottom, 38, of Chantry Avenue, Bloxwich, was convicted of conspiracy to burgle, handle stolen goods and possessing criminal property. He was jailed for three years and nine months.
Det Sgt Tom Frenchum, from the Major Crime Unit’s Proactive Team, said: “A huge amount of planning and preparation went into these offences and the gang showed a high level of sophistication throughout, but our detectives worked tirelessly to disrupt them and now put them behind bars.
“The gang had specific roles – some would carry out the ATM attacks, while others would help with the logistics of transporting the stolen vehicles and the specialist cutting equipment.’’