TWO men who stole £1,000,000 from several businesses in Cheshire have been sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
Christian Stokes and Colin Hughes appeared at Chester Crown Court, where they were jailed for a combined total of seven years and six months.
The pair had previously pleaded guilty to multiple counts of burglary other than a dwelling.
Stokes, 45, of Cranbrook Gardens, Ashton-Under-Lyne, was sentenced to three years in prison.
Hughes, 45, of Lewis Drive, Heywood, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
Alexandra Carrier, prosecuting the case, told the court how the pair had targeted businesses from 2019 until April 2021, stealing a combined £994,966.34 worth of laptops, televisions, petty cash and mobile phones.
The two men targeted predominantly business parks across the North-West, using screwdrivers, crowbars, and bolt cutters to force entry.
Their crime spree began on Thursday, February 28, 2019, when they targeted Clarinet Ltd in Birchwood and stole a laptop and three televisions, valued at £3,500.
Then on September 25, 2019, the pair targeted Virgin Care in Daresbury Park, where they caused damage and stole items in the amount of £31,500.
Their offending escalated between December 4 and December 5, 2019 when they broke into three businesses in two days.
These included GEA Process Engineering, Millennium House and Firecroft Engineering, all located in Birchwood, from where they stole £16,744 worth of computer equipment and stock.
The pair continued to target seven businesses between March 9, 2020 and October 9, 2020.
CCTV enquiries revealed that Hughes and Stokes would wear outfits such as high-vis jackets and formal office wear to blend in with their environment and not raise suspicion, before breaking into the businesses they would then go on to burgle.
Whilst they were sentenced together, the pair were sentenced for a different range of burglaries. Hughes faced 13 counts, whilst Stokes faced six.
Hughes carried out several burglaries not involving Stokes, including one in Manchester where an office worker had been staying late to work.
When the burglar broke in, she hid under a desk and texted a friend, asking her to call the police. She also took a photo of Hughes.
Ms Carrier told the court the woman had carried out a victim personal statement, saying ‘the incident scared her, and she now worries about being in the office on her own’.
There was another burglary carried out by Hughes in Warrington, in which a cleaner was still present. Hughes pretended to be an employee coming back to get a laptop, despite having forced entry into the building.
Their spree was brought to an end on April 1, 2021 following a burglary at MDS Global in Warrington - where they were caught on CCTV carrying two bags and a clear box full of laptops. They then made off in a silver Doblo van.
Officers attended the home addresses of Stokes and Hughes where they were both arrested and subsequently charged with burglary other than a dwelling. The silver van, as well as stolen plates, were found at Hughes’ address.
Following Stokes' arrest, officers discovered a number of stolen items at the property, along with CCTV footage and DNA evidence which linked Hughes and Stokes to the burglaries.
Stokes and Hughes both had extensive criminal pasts, with Stokes having 23 convictions for 55 offences, ten of which are non-dwelling burglaries, and Hughes having a shocking 41 convictions for 119 offences, with 40 previous non-dwelling burglaries dating back to 1992.
In defence of Hughes, Damian Zelazowski told the court how the burglaries had been motivated by paying off debts from a gambling addiction.
He said: “His record speaks for itself. He did this because of debts he has accrued from a gambling addiction.
“He offers his apologies and his gambling addiction as an explanation.”
When sentencing Hughes, Judge McAteer said: “Your career as a burglar started at 14. If you could call anyone a career burglar, it would be you.”
Sentencing Stokes, Judge McAteer went on to say: “There were planned offences, of a huge value.
“It is a great shame you have resorted to offending at this time.”
Whilst Stokes received a three-year sentence for all six offences, set to run concurrently, Hughes received a four-and-a-half-year sentence due to the aggravating features of the two burglaries where employees were present.
The other 11 offences to which Hughes pled guilty were given four years, with all 13 running concurrently.
Following their sentencing Detective Constable Dawn Taylor said: “Many independent businesses are struggling at the moment due to the economic downturn and high energy costs, so the last thing they need is to be targeted by prolific offenders like Hughes and Stokes.
“Not only did they cause tremendous amounts of damage, but they also stole thousands of pounds worth of cash and goods from these premises.
“Thankfully, Hughes and Stokes are now behind bars and are being held accountable for their actions.
“I hope that the sentences handed to them will provide the owners of these businesses with some closure and provide reassurance to other businesses and the communities affected.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here