Gang targeted stereos from top-of-range cars

A gang of youths who targeted car stereos from top-of-the-range cars across the Black Country have been caught by police.

Luke Burns, Adam Dudley and Lee Field struck at dealerships in Wolverhampton and Dudley during their spree. In one case, they smashed the windows of a BMW M3 sports car worth £9,000, leaving it beyond repair.

But the trio were caught when they CCTV footage identifed them targeting a vehicle at Stratstone Jaguar, in Stafford Street, Wolverhampton.

At the city's magistrates court yesterday, prosecutor Mrs Jane Yeomans said a BMW M3 at Stratstone had windows smashed and its boot damaged when it was raided at about 3.15am on November 28.

Dudley and Burns, both 18, and 21-year-old Field, used a crowbar to smash the windows but failed to steal the stereo system from the vehicle. They were arrested after police were alerted by CCTV operatives.

The court heard all three had a previous conviction for interfering with vehicles on August 4.

Meanwhile, Dudley, of The Broadway, Stourbridge, and Field, of Cheyne Walk, Brierley Hill, have also been convicted of attempting to steal a stereo from a car at Steve Smith Motors, in Church Road, Netherton on Saturday. They will be sentenced for that offence and the one at Stratstone at Dudley Magistrates Court on January 3.

Meanwhile Burns, 18, of Turney Road, Stourbridge, will be sentenced by magistrates in Wolverhampton on December 14.

All three admitted attempting to steal from a motor vehicle and were bailed pending sentencing.

Mr Jason Patel, for Burns, said he had shown "remorse". But chairman of the bench Mr Richard Jervis told the teenager he needed to think about the meaning of remorse after witnessing the youth smirking during yesterday's hearing.

Mr Jervis said "The difficulty we have is you went with friends nicking stuff from other people's property. That is the reality of what you have done."