FIRST PICTURES: The men part of a Sheffield chop shop gang linked to various vehicle thefts
Derby Crown Court heard how ten of the men pleaded guilty to a variety of offences relating to their involvement in an operation which was based at a unit on Deepdale Close, at Staveley. One defendant was convicted after a trial.
The gang had been involved in a series of thefts of Land Rovers, Transit vans and vehicle parts from March, 2014, but was brought to justice after a search warrant was executed at the Staveley unit in September, 2014.
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Hide AdOffences had included many thefts of Land Rovers, Ford Transit vans, Land Rover headlights and parts from locations across the region includingSheffield, Dronfield Woodhouse, Staveley, Chesterfield, Rotherham, Lincoln, Worksop and Newark.
*Simon Evans, aged 31, of Richmond Road, Handsworth,was jailed for four years and eight months.
*Gavin Critchley, 32, of Thorpe Drive, Waterthorpe, was jailed for four years and six months.
*Bradley Ellis, 27, of Haigh Moor Way, Swallownest, was jailed for three years and 10 months.
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Hide Ad*Aaron Wood, 27, of Berners Road, Arbourthorne, was jailed for two years and nine months.
*Peter Houghton, 32, of Fellbrigg Road, Arbourthorne was jailed for two years.
*Darren Keeton, 29, of Danewood Gardens, Manor and Andrew Roberts, 41, of Winn Drive, Middlwood, were both jailed for 15 months.
*Gareth Houlden, 37, of Danewood Gardens, Manor, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years.
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Hide Ad*Nathan Williams, 34, of Forest Town, Mansfield, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years.
*Ben Stubbs, of Euston Way, Dinnington, was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for one year.
*Karl Ray, 29, of Thornborough Road, Heeley, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for one year.
Evans accepted having a leading role and admitted responsibility in the theft of ten vehicles and the theft of parts from a Transit van.
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Hide AdEllis admitted being linked to the dismantling of vehicles but did not accept involvement in any thefts.
Critchley admitted involvement in 11 specific offences but he has no previous convictions.
Roberts was involved for only a couple of days assisting in two thefts. Keeton conceded he was involved in three vehicle thefts and two thefts from vehicles but claimed to have only been involved for a month.
Houghton was linked to five vehicle offences but he was described as a 'foot soldier'.
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Hide AdWood claimed had only acted in a driving capacity. Houlden was only linked to the theft of a Land Rover, theft from a Land Rover and interfering with a vehicle.
Williams’ involvement had only been to provide information about the remote location of a vehicle to be stolen and that the owner of the vehicle was on holiday. Ray said he was involved in only one theft.
The extent of Stubbs’ involvement was that he had eBayy and Pay Payl accounts which he had allowed Critchley to use as part of the gang’s operation.