Pair jailed over string of burglaries at stores

A traveller who was part of a gang that used chains tied to cars to rip off security grilles from stores across the West Midlands has been jailed for four years.

The gang raided seven stores in a month, escaping with £15,500 worth of property while causing nearly £5,000 damage.

Anthony McDonagh, whose parents are serving life sentences, was on licence from a six-and-a-half year jail sentence for robbery and other offences when he targeted premises in Halesowen, Oldbury, New Invention and Sedgley last year.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that on June 15 McDonagh and an unknown man walked into the Chevrolet Garage in Halesowen and stole an ignition key. But a valet worker grabbed 24-year-old McDonagh before being repeatedly punched in the face.

Four days later McDonagh and others ripped the grille from the nearby Comet store and stole televisions worth £4,000.

On July 12 he struck again in a gang that pulled the shutters off the Big and Tall store in Oldbury and took about £3,000 of stock.

The next day he struck twice in Coventry, stealing £2,000 of goods from a power tool shop as well as £130 cash from another store. The same day he struck at the Co-op store in New Invention, tearing off the shutters using a white Skoda that had been stolen from Vulcan Road, Bilston.

He escaped with £2,500 worth of cigarettes and alcohol, prosecutor Miss Sally Cairns told the court.

Two days later McDonagh returned to the Coventry tool shop, taking £1,740 goods, before striking at Costcutter in Northway, Sedgley, stealing alcohol and cigarettes.

McDonagh, of Waterloo Road, Tipton, admitted seven burglaries, theft and assault. Stephen Cadwaladr, defending, said: "At the age of 10, he lost both parents to life sentences following a death."

Danny Gill, a 30-year-old accomplice from Alma Avenue, Tipton admitted four of the burglaries and was jailed for three years by Judge John Warner.