Thief who took 200,000 Creme Eggs with 'stolen' lorry cab gave himself up on motorway

Police caught up with Joby Pool on the M42 soon after he stole the trailer containing more than £31,000-worth of Cadbury sweet treats on Saturday night.

The 32-year-old had used the power tool and tractor unit to get into an industrial unit owned by SW Logistics at Stafford Park, Telford, before heading off towards the motorway.

Kidderminster Magistrates' Court heard how police were on the lookout for the trailer when they found him on the northbound carriageway of M42 in Staffordshire. Pool gave himself up by Junction 11, some 45 miles from where the trailer full of chocolate was stolen from.

Pool, who had been remanded in custody ahead of his court appearance, wore a grey prison-issue jumper and trousers and spoke with a Yorkshire accent as he pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and one of criminal damage on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Owen Beale told the court it was "not a spur of the moment" offence, saying the defendant had "taken an angle grinder" and knew the load was parked up.

“I don’t know if you have seen the news recently – there was a load that was stolen and on the trailer was Cadbury’s products – a large number of Creme Eggs," he said.

“The police were told there had been a break-in at SW Logistics. A grinder had been used to get through the gate.”

He said this was pretty much a repeat of a case heard at Derby Crown Court in 2019 where Pool was dealt with for theft, handling stolen goods and driving while disqualified, saying the father-of-four "had a tractor unit and stole a trailer full of products".

Mr Beale told the court Pool used a tractor unit that had been stolen in the Yorkshire area in October to tow the trailer.

"This is very very clearly an organised crime matter," Mr Beale continued. "You don't just happen to learn about a trailer of that kind of value being available. You don't just happen to have a tractor," as he suggested to the bench that a prison sentence of two years may be the starting point.

“It’s going to be well outside your powers of sentence," he added.

John McMillan, mitigating via video-link, said Pool "understood he's likely to receive a substantial prison sentence," saying that he has a record "that doesn't help him".

Mr McMillan told magistrates that when he was arrested, Pool gave his address as no fixed abode, before telling the court he lives in Dewsbury Road in the Tingley area of Leeds, because he "didn't want to upset his family by having police turn up" before he could tell them what was happening.

"He stopped the vehicle when he realised he was being followed," he said. "He realised the game was up when the police were behind him, he indicated to the left and pulled in when it was safe to do so. He put his hands in the air and was not offering and resistance when he was arrested.

“Everything (stolen) had been recovered and that will no doubt assist the owners of the various items that have been taken.

“There has been no interference with the food products that were taken – they will be in a condition that they can go back on the shelves.”

Explaining why Pool wanted bail in an unsuccessful application, Mr McMillan added: "He says to me nothing will happen but I want to be at home to explain the situation to my kids."

The self-employed ground worker also keeps horses and sheep in a paddock near his home. "He wants to sort out the animals and make sure they are looked after," Mr McMillan said in his bail application.

Appealing against a bail application, Mr Beale added: "There's likely to be further offending as that very clearly is his lifestyle."

Magistrate Mrs Janet Whitby refused bail, telling Pool he was on police bail for an unrelated matter at the time of the theft.

Remanding him in custody, she said her sentencing powers were insufficient,

He will be sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on March 14.

In a series of tweets on Monday, West Mercia Police said of the offence: “The eggs-travagent theft took place on Saturday 11 February with the chocolate collection box thought to be worth around £40,000. Along with the Creme Eggs a number of other chocolate varieties were also stolen.

“Shortly after the theft a vehicle, presumably purporting to be the Easter bunny, was stopped northbound on the M42 and a man was arrested on suspicion of theft.”

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Market Drayton station replied to news the haul had been recovered, telling police “eggcellent work by all involved”.