Four men jailed for ATM raid and violent high-speed police chase

Four men who ripped an ATM cash machine from the wall of a village shop were involved in a 130 mph police chase, during which they threw missiles and shone a laser light at pursuing officers, Lincoln Crown Court was told on Tuesday.

The gang, wearing balaclavas, used a stolen teleporter to smash open a wall at the McColl’s store in Louth Road, Holton-le-Clay and remove the cash machine.

The ATM, which contained £22,000 in bank notes, was then loaded into a stolen transit van and driven away in convoy with a stolen car.

Photo: Stewart York

Hal Ewing, prosecuting, said that police were alerted by residents. The getaway vehicles were seen heading away from the burglary and a high speed pursuit followed.

House bricks, jerry cans, fire crackers and a circular saw were among missiles thrown at a pursuing patrol car and a laser light shone at the police driver as they reached 130 mph in the getaway VW Golf car.

Mr Ewing said that the gang headed off along Caistor High Street as far as Walesby where the transit van containing the cash machine was abandoned.

They then drove back towards Grimsby in the Golf. On the A18 the Golf rammed the police car and then turned into Laceby.

Mr Ewing said: “The Golf crossed the grass central reservation and then drove in the wrong side of the dual carriageway at 80mph.

“The pursuing officer took the view that this was a manouvre designed to be so deliberately dangerous that it would force the police to abandon the pursuit.”

At one point the Golf stopped and one of the men got out and used a wrench to smash the windscreen of the police car showering the officer with glass.

The Golf then continued into Collingwood Crescent off Laceby Road in Grimsby where it smashed into the gates of a house and came to a halt. All four men were then arrested.

The incident resulted in the store being closed for four weeks. £25,000 worth of damage was caused to the building and a further £10,000 worth of stock was destroyed. In addition thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to the cash machine. The money in the ATM was all recovered.

The four men each admitted burglary and aggravated vehicle taking as a result of the incident on October 11 this year.

• Alan Pearson, 33, of Tolney Lane, Newark
• Ashley Squires, 36, of Huthwaite Lane,Old Blackwell, Alfreton
• Thomas Boswell, 32, of French Street, Bentley, Doncaster
• Jordan Herring, 38, of The Homestead, Bentley, Doncaster

Pearson also admitted charges of assaulting an emergency worker and criminal damage to a police car.

Pearson was jailed for four years and eight months and Squires was jailed for four years and four months.

Boswell and Herring were each jailed for four years.

Pearson was banned from driving for 40 months, Squires for 38 months, and Boswell and Herring for three years.

A hearing to consider confiscation of their assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act was adjourned to the New Year.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told them: “This was a significantly planned and organised expedition. You acted as a team.

“You chose a rural location no doubt, you thought, to minimise the risk of being pursued.”

Barristers representing the four men told the court they became involved in the raid for financial reasons after income from their work dropped off.

DS Calley Murray of Lincolnshire Police said: “The sentencing is a clear message to those offenders who believe that they can avoid detection by committing crimes in different forces. We are relentless in our pursuit of criminals involved in serious organised crime and there are no borders.

“The success of this investigation lies solely with the teamwork completed by both Lincolnshire and Humberside police officers and the support of the local community.”