FIVE unscrupulous burglars have found themselves behind bars after a brazen crime wave targeting Warrington homes of hard-working people.

The quintet appeared before Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Thursday, after each admitting a charge of conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal.

One shocking incident saw them burgle a Warrington home, noting the address of a holiday cottage from inside, before travelling to the Lake District to break into there as well.

As a result, they were incarcerated for a total of 21 years and 10 months.

The charges related to nine reported burglaries at addresses in Glazebrook, Locking Stumps, Cinnamon Brow, Winwick and the Lake DIstrict between August and November last year.

During these incidents, the gang targeted high-powered vehicles and valuable jewellery from the homes of people that had worked hard to buy them.

In January this year, Warrington-based detectives from Cheshire Police, conducted raids across Greater Manchester.

They were supported by colleagues based in Runcorn, Widnes, Macclesfield and from Greater Manchester Police.

Five men were arrested during the raids, and a number of other items were also seized, with all five charged the following day.

CCTV gathered as part of the investigation provided an opportunity to identify the suspects and provided an avenue for further investigations.

Detectives would later find they had been in regular communication with each other, and that the burglaries were not far from one of the defendant’s addresses at the time.

The criminals were jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

The criminals were jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

They were also in communication with each other before and after the burglaries, and some stolen items belonging to the victims were recovered from their addresses during the warrants.

The gang also left mole grips at one of the addresses, which was tested for DNA and came back matching that of one of those charged.

The court handed down the below sentences to the defendants.

  • Harley Jones-Joyce, aged 18 and of Hollyhedge Road in Gatley, Manchester – jailed for four years and two months
  • Niall Richie, aged 19 and of Plowden Road in Woodhouse Park, Manchester – jailed for three years
  • Conrad Strachan, aged 21 and of Hearle Drive in Woodhouse Park, Manchester – jailed for three years and three months
  • Harry Hosker, aged 29 and of Glazebrook Lane, Glazebrook – jailed for five years
  • Alex Higson, aged 28 and of HMP Liverpool – jailed for six years and five months.

Hosker was previously jailed after a shockingly dangerous police chase in which he drove the wrong way down the M62 in Warrington to evade arrest.

He continued, even when a stinger punctured all four tyres, and tried to flee on foot, before being caught and jailed in July 2022 for 54 months.

Ritchie meanwhile was sentenced to a three-year youth referral order in July last year for eight burglaries and four attempted burglaries.

He was one of seven organised crime gang members sentenced after stealing more than £4million worth of vehicles over a 10-month period from homes while most victims were asleep upstairs.

The stolen vehicles were then disposed of by various means, including recovered on cloned plates and using 'chop shops', which involves stripping down undamaged, perfectly-working vehicles to sell as parts vehicles.

The sentences handed down by the court were welcomed by DS David Gerrard, of Cheshire Police.

He said: “Further enquiries showed that they even went to the lengths of travelling to one of the victims’ holiday homes in the Lake District to steal their car, after stealing jewellery and a calendar at the Warrington address.

“The calendar had their holiday cottage postcode written on it.

“The suspects were regularly in contact with each other, discussed potential targets and sent photos and videos of the stolen vehicles to each other.

“They also photographed stolen property and recorded themselves handling it.

“The evidence against them was substantial, resulting in their guilty pleas, and now they have thankfully been brought to justice.

“I hope this reassures residents that we do understand the devastating impact of burglary and treat this type of crime very seriously – stopping at nothing to find those responsible.”