Ram raid gang found guilty

Albert Smith, 38, of Common Road in Potton and Alfred Stanley, 37, of Sandon Close in Sandy were part of the gang that carried out smash and grab raids at 12 banks across and six burglaries in a nine-month crime spree.

They used JCB vehicles to smash into businesses before ripping out cash machines, used cutting equipment to help themselves to more cash and escaped in vehicles they had plundered in burglaries across the region.

In total, they got away with £301,560 from cash machines and stole cars and jewellery worth more than £100,000. The offences took place across Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.

Albert Smith, Alfred Stanley, Joseph Upton, 43, of Murrow Lane, Parsons Drove, Wisbech and John Smith, 39, of Small Lode, in Upwell all pleaded guilty to conspiracy burgle and conspiracy to steal motorvehicles between January and October 2012.

John Christopher Smith, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

All of the gang except for John Smith had each been jailed for 10 years in 2013 for a violent robbery at an isolated farmhouse in Bedfordshire during October 2012.

The Eastern Region Serious Operations Unit had brought the four to justice for that incident and, after they were convicted, began investigating the four for further offences.

Temporary Detective Sergeant Stuart Dolan said: “This was an organised gang who targeted homes in order to steal vehicles to ultimately use as getaway vehicles after smashing into shops and banks to steal ATMs.

“They caused misery for the burglary victims as well as causing a huge amount of damage to shops and banks across the region.

“The number of such offences has reduced dramatically since the arrest of these offenders and we’re pleased they have now been brought to justice.

“This case shows we will relentlessly pursue those we suspect of being involved in organised crime and continue to put them before the courts.”

Youtube video courtesy of Bedfordshire Police