Three jailed for £41k raid at Costcutter

Scott Parton and Simon Pagett, both of Walsall, were jailed after admitting conspiracy to commit burglary. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how they smashed their way into a house in Malvern using a garden ornament on April 29, to take the keys inside to steal a Subaru Impreza.

To the stolen Impreza, they later added different registration plates, cloned from those they had seen on another Impreza which was up for sale.

Two days later, they used it as their getaway car in a raid on the the Costcutter in the Alderwood shopping precinct, Sedgley.

Mrs Sally Cairns, prosecuting, said they were among four men who struck at around 1.30am on May 1, forcing open roller shutters before slicing open an ATM machine with metal disc cutters. Neighbours were woken by 'sounds of a revving engine, loud bangs and the smell of burning', Mrs Cairns said, before they called police.

The raiders removed two cash cassettes containing a total of £41,990, more cash from the till and they also caused £3,000 damage to the safe door, the court heard.

They were then chased by police, hitting speeds of up to 90mph before crashing the car in Darkhouse Lane, Coseley, and running towards a canal.

Officers said during the pursuit they saw the car's driver and a passenger had worn balaclavas. The disc cutter was found in the abandoned car, along with one of the cash cassettes. The other cassette was not found, and was estimated to have contained £28,000. The jewellery from the house raid was also not recovered.

Parton and Pagett were arrested within an hour of the raid at Pagett's house. A third raider, Gavin Keats, was not arrested until around a month later, the court was told, after he was traced by forensic evidence.

Mrs Cairns told the court all three had dozens of previous convictions.

Parton, aged 31, of Trees Road, Delves, Walsall, had been subject to a community order for three other burglaries at the time of the Costcutter raid. He was sentenced to 58 months.

Pagett, 32, of Rowland Gardens, Walsall, had meanwhile received a 64-month sentence for conspiracy to steal from dwelling houses in 2008. He was jailed for another 54 months yesterday.

Keats, of Hadley Road, Walsall, was sentenced for 33 months for his part in the plot, though he only admitted being involved in the supermarket raid. He had been on licence for a commercial burglary when arrested.

Mr Nick Smith, defending Pagett, said his father and grandfather had health problems but he realised 'he made another grave error of judgement and could offer no excuse'.

Mr Simon Rippon, defending Parton, said he had completed other requirements included as part of his community order but could offer 'little else in mitigation except his guilty plea'.

Mr Stephen Cadwaladr, defending Keats, stressed he pleaded guilty on a basis the Crown accepted, that he was only involved in one burglary.