Car key burglary gang jailed for combined 40 years

Cross-border criminals who carried out a series of burglaries in order to steal high-value cars have been locked up for a combined total of more than 40 years.

The gang targeted homes in Nottinghamshire, neighbouring 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 out of the force area to South Yorkshire.

Members of the group burgled a total of 15 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.

The gang’s conspiracy was cracked by detectives following a painstaking investigation by the force’s county burglary team.

Nine offenders were in the dock at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday and Friday (16-17 January) for sentencing.

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 jail 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.

Stone was jailed for five years and 10 months 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 jail.

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 jail 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 in the south of the county and transported them to the location of burglaries.

Mickle was jailed for 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 put behind bars for two years and eight months.

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 locked up for six years and four months.

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 jail sentence, suspended for two years.

Following sentencing, Detective Constable Richard Shaw, of Nottinghamshire Police’s county burglary team, said: 

“This was a challenging case with multiple offenders and offences committed across different force areas.

"Our complex inquiries involved a number of proactive police teams and we used all the investigative tools at our disposal to trace the offenders and build a watertight case against them.

“We understand burglary is a crime which can have a long‑lasting and profound impact on victims, which is why we have teams of detectives investigating break-ins.

“No one deserves to wake up to discover their home has been violated and the car they rely on is missing from the driveway.”