Bank ATM raid gang sentenced
9:02am Wed Oct 10, 2012
Two Newark men and one from Flintham who were in a gang who targeted bank ATM machines, stealing thousands of pounds, have been sent to prison.
Gary Self, 47, of Coney Grey Spinney, Flintham; Reuben Reynolds, 30, of College Close, Newark; Nathan Steele, 31, of Carlton Road, Newark, and John Charles, 38, of Welbeck Road, Retford, admitted consipiracy to burgle between November 5 and February 28 when they appeared before Lincoln Crown Court yesterday.
Reynolds and Self were sent to prison for six and a half years, Charles was sentenced to five years and Steele for four and a half years.
Passing sentence Judge Sean Morris told them: "This was a highly professional crime. The profits were extremley high."
Prosecutor Mr Gareth Weetman said the gang had stolen diggers and equipment from farms and used them to smash into buildings and remove the cash machines in the dead of night. The ATMs were then taken to isolated areas where they were broken up and the cash taken.
In February they stole £26,000 from a Co-op store in Kegworth. The following week they targetted the Nat West Bank in Market Place, Bingham, where they got away with £40,000 cash and caused more than £60,000 damage to the bank.
An unsuccesful attempt was made at a machine in Long Bennington.
They were caught at the end of February after police disturbed them while them were parked near Pilsley, Derbyshire, waiting to carry out a further raid.
Self, the gang leader, was caught after fleeing from his get-away car. Forensic investigations and checks carried out on moble phones owned by the gang led to the arrest of three others.
The court was told that Self and Reynolds had only recently been released from prison sentences imposed for similar offences.
Mr Chris Milligan, for Self, said he had pleaded guilty and to some extent that had demonstrated remorse. In mitigation for Reyolds he said he had obtained his first job on his release from prison but had quit when faced with redundancy and returned to his old ways.
Mr David Outterside, for Charles, said he had returned to crime after losing his job. Mr Roger Wilson, for Steele, said he had only got involved because he was short of money.
