Thursday 10 November 2022 08:02 PM 'Professional' cashpoint ram-raiders who carried out series of 'smash and ... trends now
Two 'professional' cashpoint ram-raiders who carried out a series of 'smash and grabs' across Kent have been jailed for a total of 16 years.
The thieves caused more than £1.5 million worth of damage and stole a total of £306,895 in thefts between November 2019 and January 2021.
A court heard Anthony Pemberthy, 44, and Stephen Davenport, 61, were part of a gang who 'extensively planned' the hits, using stolen JCB diggers to rip out the supermarket and service station ATMs.
The cashpoints would then be driven just a few miles away in stolen flat-bed trucks to rural locations to be 'slaughtered' - emptied of money - and then doused in accelerant or fire extinguisher spray to destroy any forensic evidence.
Six such raids were carried out between November 14, 2019 and March 1 last year, four of which were successful.
A court heard Anthony Pemberthy and Stephen Davenport were part of a gang who 'extensively planned' the hits, using stolen JCB diggers to rip out ATMs. One of the crime scenes is pictured
Maidstone Crown Court, Kent, was told the gang stole a total of £306,895 and caused damage to buildings and ATMs worth £539,313. The total damages, cash stollen, and economic loss incurred by the 'smash and grabs' is estimated to be over £1.8 million.
One cashpoint alone contained what was said to be 'an eye-watering amount' of over £200,000.
In the two unsuccessful raids from which the gang had fled empty-handed, the machines held a total of £287,290.
Dad of seven Pemberthy, was responsible for ramming the cashpoints with the excavators. His DNA was found on the vehicle joysticks and on discarded cigarettes.
He admitted six burglary charges and six associated offences of criminal damage.
Davenport, who was described by his barrister as 'an old-fashioned defendant', was the driver of the stolen flat-bed trucks. He pleaded guilty to two offences of burglary and two of criminal damage relating to the first two ATM thefts.
The premises targeted - all in the early hours and two on consecutive dates - were a Co-op store in Cranbrook, Iden Park Esso service station in Staplehurst, Tesco Extra in Whitfield near Dover, Morrisons supermarket in Northfleet near Gravesend, Tesco Express in Dymchurch and the Shell Lychgate garage on the A299 Thanet Way in Dargate, near Faversham.
Pemberthy, of Calder Road, Maidstone, was jailed for eight years and nine months. Davenport, of Ashford Road, Harrietsham, Kent, was jailed for seven years and five months.
Anthony Pemberthy (pictured) and Stephen Davenport have both been jailed for a total of more than 16 years
Stephen Davenport (pictured), along with Anthony Pemberthy, carried out a series of 'smash and grabs' at ATMs across Kent and stole over £300,000 in cash
Passing sentence, Judge Philip St. John-Stevens said they had been involved in a 'well-considered and thought-out' criminal enterprise.
'Each of you were aware of a system that you could deploy along with others to violently extract ATMs from premises and to steal significant amounts of money,' he told them.
'It is worth noting that whatever security systems in place, they would be no defence to a skilfully-driven JCB digger with a flat-bed truck ready to receive the ATM.
'You are professional criminals, you knew exactly what you were involved in and what potentially could be the result in terms of significant amounts of money.'
Both men, who have 81 previous offences between them, were convicted in 2015 for three ATM raids in Kent and Sussex. These were said to have 'striking similarities' to the latest offences, for which Davenport was on licence from prison at the time.
At the start of the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Patrick Dennis told the court Pemberthy and Davenport were involved in 'organised and professional
