Truck thieves ailed for scrap racket
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IN The jail sentences given to three men who stole over £.500,000 worth of trucks and trailers have been described as "bloody scandalous" by a haulier who was one of their victims.
Ken Longthorne of Skipton, who had two eight-wheel tippers stolen in 1988 and 1989, has condemned the sentences of between 18 months and three years passed by Manchester Crown Court as too light.
"They put lads out of business," says tipper-operator Longthorne. "Even those with trucks insured lost work and didn't get any insurance for a month. They couldn't keep up their repayments."
Andrew Jones, of Greenburn Drive, Harwood, Bolton, was jailed for three years for his part in what was described in court as a "well organised crime". He pleaded guilty to conspiring with his brother-in-law Gary Greeley and a person unknown to steal
motor vehicles ( CM 4-10 April).
Greeley, of Green Mount Park, Kersley, Bolton, was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to conspiring with Jones and a person unknown to steal motor vehicles.
Scrap metal dealer and skip hire operator Peter Lightbown of Cemetery Road, Kersley, Bolton, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to conspiring with Jones, Greeley and a person unknown to receive stolen vehicle and trailer parts; and to the theft of three skips and two Foden tippers.
A fourth defendant, Anthony Lightbown, of Moss Lane, Kersley, Bolton, said to be the least involved, was ordered to do 100 hours community service after pleading guilty to receiving a stolen engine.
Prosecuting, Anthony Morris QC said that between February 1988 and November 1989 Jones and Greeley carried on an extremely efficient, profitable business stealing and handling stolen heavy goods vehicles and trailers, cutting down parts for aluminium scrap.
Jones stole or received the stolen vehicles and trailers, Greeley cut them up and Peter Lightbown disposed of the scrap aluminium and parts. The business was run from sites at Bridge Water Mill, Swinton, and Bradford Mill, Manchester.
In all 40 vehicles and trailers were stolen or received by the defendants from operators throughout the Midlands and the North. The vehicles and trailers concerned were worth over £500,000 and the police say that 10 hauliers were forced out of business by the thefts.
In November 1989 police went to Bradford Mill. They were initially unable to gain entry, although they could hear banging and smell burning. Jones eventually opened the door, saw the police and ran off. Inside the premises police found parts and property from the vehicles Three trailers were in the process of being cut up and placed in a skip; one vehicle showed false number plates and was in the process of being resprayed.
Peter Lightbown's tipper was found in Kersley containing an engine and cab from different vehicles. When his home was searched a key for a deposit box was found. Inside the deposit box were a number of building society books in false names totalling £50,000, a life insurance and £17,000 in cash.