Sunday 22 May 2022 06:43 PM Gang of thieves who blew up 18 ATMs in £100,000 raids and stole 10 trophies ... trends now
A gang of professional thieves who blew up ATMs and stole ten trophies from the National Horseracing Museum have been sentenced to nearly 75 years in prison.
Six members from the smash and grab gang led by James 'Jimmy' Sheen blew up 18 ATMs over a year and got away with £100,000 by dragging them out using high-powered 4x4s.
In May 2020, three members of the gang also smashed their way into the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket and walked out with 10 trophies, including the £75,000 Ascot Gold Vase.
Sentencing them at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, Judge Michael Gledhill QC labelled this Newmarket heist as the 'most audacious in this lengthy list' and said the crime demonstrated the gang's ambition whilst sentencing the six men.
In May and June 2020, the gang also stole expensive agricultural machinery and arranged through a foreign contact to have them taken abroad.
Judge Gledhill described the thefts as 'committed and professional' but condemned their attitude to life which he described as 'if it is there to be taken, we're entitled to it'.
He described the gang's desire 'to obtain as much money as possible as quickly as possible, avoiding detection by the police and other authorities'.
Gang leader James Sheen, 37, of Headington, Oxfordshire, was jailed for 17 years and four months. He admitted conspiracy to cause explosions, conspiracy to burgle, burgling the Newmarket Horseracing Museum, theft of a Landcruiser in Aynho, attempted theft of a Mitsubishi in Horndean, using a stolen BMW and conspiracy to steal plant machinery.
And addressing the criminals in court, he told them: 'You were completely indifferent to the effect of your actions on others, indifferent to the risk of injury from the explosions, indifferent to the cost of repairing the damage, indifferent to the financial loss to the owners of the buildings and the ATM machines.
'You were not the least bit concerned as to the effect of the disruption to businesses, the effect of your crimes on the staff the loss to the insurance companies and the loss of amenities to members of the public.
'You couldn't care less. The attitude of each of you was fully focused on yourselves.
'Your attitude was 'what can I make out of the offending and how can I avoid being caught?'
'You each chose to be a party to this serious organised crime group.
David Riley, 26, was Sheen's trusted lieutenant. He was jailed for 17 years and three months after he admitted conspiracy to cause explosions,
