It might have been the perfect crime, if it weren’t for one of the gang providing the damning evidence to convict them all.
Craig Rayner, Ben Cooper, Steven Franks and Benjamin Turnbull were seen getting out of a Peugeot at 11.40am wearing gloves with the looted jewellery from their raid that night in Armley, Leeds, West Yorkshire.
The key witness? Rayners own home CCTV security system.
Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said: “They were no doubt on their way to sell the loot when the police stopped them.” Officers found the footage which also showed them leaving earlier the same morning to complete the job in North Yorkshire.
Between them, the four men had a long list of previous offences including burglary, violence and car crime. Last September they had targeted a home in Long Marston, taking 3,400-pounds worth of jewellery along with a Nintendo Wii, an iPod, a laptop, binoculars and a camera.
The gang all admitted burglary considering they would be even bigger idiots not to.
Franks (26) also admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply. He was jailed for four years. Cooper (22) received a two-and-a-half year sentence, Turnbull (22) and Rayner (26) were jailed for two years and three months.
By Lewis Roe
@CrackingAce
