TWO men who were found handling expensive stolen cars on an Ellesmere Port street have been jailed.

Stephen Fraser, 30, of Haldon Road, Manchester and Noel Ryan, 22, of Wilkinson Street, Ellesmere Port, both pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to handling stolen goods, namely the £20k cars of an Audi TT convertible and a VW Passat Estate. Fraser also admitted driving while disqualified.

It had followed what Chester Crown Court heard on Thursday, September 16 was a "professional and sophisticated" burglary in the Handforth area a few days ago, although it was not suggested the two defendants had any direct link with that.

Both defendants were handed immediate prison terms – but will actually serve a considerably longer time behind bars as they had each committed the crimes one month after being released on licence from prison for different, serious offences.

They will therefore serve the rest of their original prison terms in full in custody.

Prosecuting, Peter Hussey said the Audi TT and the VW Passat, both petrol-powered, belonged to a couple who had gone on holiday on August 14, and they had left a friend to look after the cars and house while they were away.

In the early hours of August 15, the occupier was woken by the patio door lock being broken off.

Mr Hussey said: "He was able to tiptoe to the landing, where he saw a shadowy figure downstairs. He called 999 but after the burglar had got away with the keys to the cars parked outside."

On August 17, police saw the two vehicles in the Ellesmere Port area where Ryan was living and Fraser had been staying.

The vehicle registration plates matched those of an Audi TT and VW Passat – but ones which were diesel-powered, and in different parts of the country.

The plates had been cloned, but again there was no evidence either defendant had any involvement in that operation.

Police observed the cars in Wilkinson Street the following day and, after confirming both defendants had been using the vehicles, forced entry to the house and arrested both men, who were silent in police interview.

Fraser had 27 previous convictions for 43 offences, including robbery in 2007, handling stolen goods in 2008, robbery in 2013, burglaries in 2015, 2016 and 2018, and was sentenced to six years in prison at Minshull Crown Court in 2018, as well as a four-year driving ban.

He had been released from prison on licence on July 9 this year, and recalled to prison as a result of the new crime.

The court heard that meant he had nearly three years left to serve in prison.

Ryan had four convictions for eight offences, including assault and criminal damage in 2017, possession of cannabis with intent to supply in 2018 and possession of cocaine with intent to supply in 2019, the latter of which he received a 40-month prison sentence.

He had been released on licence on July 20 this year, meaning he now had about another 18 months to serve in prison before his release.

Anna Price, defending Fraser, said the best mitigation was the guilty plea at the first opportunity.

At the time of his release from prison, he felt he had been left to his own devices.

Chris Hunt, defending Ryan, said there was nothing similar on his previous record.

He claimed he was working cash in hand for some Travellers, a claim with Honorary Recorder of Chester Judge Steven Everett said he rejected.

Mr Hunt added the vehicles were worth about £20k each.

Ryan had felt as though he had let his supportive family down.

Judge Everett said he believed both defendants were keeping quiet about the burglary and the cloning of the number plates.

He added he would not take time off the sentences due to the conditions prisoners are being kept in through the Covid pandemic – where visiting has been extremely restricted and prisoners have previously had to spend over 23 hours a day in their cells – because both defendants knew what the conditions were like and still committed a crime while out on licence.

Sentencing Fraser, he said: "You have a very bad record, with a whole ruck of serious offences. Are there any mitigating factors? In my judgment, none whatsoever."

Fraser was sentenced to 14 months in prison. The existing four-year driving ban was not extended as Judge Everett said: "The law says young men should be given a chance, when they come out of prison, to turn your life around. Whether you do that is up to you."

Sentencing Ryan, Judge Everett said: "In one sense you are lightly convicted, but you have put yourself in a serious position. You are now well down the path of criminality."

Ryan was handed an eight-month prison sentence, but told that because he was recalled to prison, he had effectively added 20 months to his previous sentence.