Burglars targeted upmarket Wolverhampton houses including home of former Wolves striker Raúl Jiménez
Two "professional criminals" who were part of a gang who raided plush homes to steal high-powered cars and victims included ex-Wolves striker Raúl Jiménez have been jailed for over ten years.
Patrick Rafferty was convicted for ten raids across Wolverhampton's most leafy neighbourhoods last summer and Simon Brooks was convicted for his role in one of the raids.
Rafferty, who has more than 30 convictions and has spent several spells in jail, led a group of thieves who wore disguises and broke into homes through drilling UPVC door locks and then stealing car keys.
One raid last July went spectacularly wrong when the homeowner confronted the thieves, who then drove a Mercedes into the neighbour's house.
The crooks escaped on foot only to successfully burgle another home and steal cars later that night. It was the second time Rafferty has been involved in a theft of a Mercedes which resulted it being driven into a neighbouring property, the first being in 2018.
Judge Michael Chambers KC sentenced Rafferty to seven years, due to the criminal being on his 'third strike', and fellow 'third strike' offender Brooks to four-and-a-half years.
Rafferty, 35, pleaded guilty on the day of his trial in January to ten raids, seven successful, between July and September last year, in which £245,000 worth of cars were stolen. Brooks also pleaded guilty just before his trial to his involvement in one burglary in which three cars worth £56,500 were stolen.
