Thieves killed in raid bungle

Two thieves were suffocated by carbon dioxide in a bungled metal raid at a derelict Black Country factory when they triggered a fire alarm system in an electricity sub-station, a court heard.

Watch Thursday's video about the raid above

Electrician Steven Gough, aged in his early 30s, and Colin Martin, aged 43, both of the Wrens Nest Estate, Dudley, were killed when gas flooded the air in the burglary at the former Fontana nuts and bolts factory on the Excelsior Industrial Estate in Cakemore Road, Blackheath.

Accomplices Jonathan Deeming, aged 24, of Foxglove Road and Craig Bull, 18, of Maple Road, both Wrens Nest, admitted burglary when they appeared at Halesowen Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Mr Barry Sealeaf, prosecuting, told the court the four men had entered the factory to steal copper from the electricity sub-station.

A complex system of pulleys had been set up before the raid to move the metal, the court heard.

Bull was acting as a lookout while the other men were in the sealed sub-station on Wednesday night.

Mr Sealeaf told magistrates: "While the three men were in this room they set off the emergency system and within a three-second period one ton of CO2 gas flooded the room."

The court heard Mr Gough staggered out of the sub-station and handed a mobile phone to Bull and told him to call 999.

The emergency services arrived at 11.30pm and #pulled Deeming out of the building. He was "breathless and disorientated".

Mr Paul Selby, acting for Deeming, said his client was leaving the building to swap places with Bull when the safety system was triggered.

Mr Selby told magistrates: "He heard a loud bang and you have heard about the release of the gas."

He added: "This experience will stay with him for the rest of his life and will be a factor in him leading, he says, a crime free existence when he leaves custody."

Deeming was sentenced to six weeks in prison which will be added to a 14-month term for robbery as he was out on licence. Sentence on Bull was adjourned.