Men jailed for cash machine raids

The men were involved in raids across the south of England and the Midlands

Four gang members who carried out a series of cash machine raids across England have been jailed.

At Ipswich Crown Court the men admitted charges relating to the theft or attempted theft of 25 cash machines.

George Welford, from Kent, and Stewart Bentley, Paul Mockford, and Martin Godwin, all from the London area, all admitted conspiring to steal.

Bentley was sentenced to three years in prison, Goodwin four years and Mockford and Welford were jailed for five years.

For 15 months between May 2007 and July 2008 the gang stole lorries, attached chains from the vehicles to cash machines and then used the stolen lorries to rip the machines out, the court heard.

Welford, 41, of Rochester, Kent; Mockford, 36, of Southgate, north London; Godwin, 36, of Romford, east London; and Bentley, 36, of Ilford, east London, admitted conspiring to steal but the court heard that not all of them were involved in every raid.

'Highly sophisticated' crimes

The gang had tried to steal nearly £170,000 and caused about £250,000 worth of damage in the raids.

Detectives told the court the men carried out raids in Dunstable, Bedfordshire; Harlow and Basildon, Essex; Hitchin and St Albans, Hertfordshire; Dover, Kent; Staines, Middlesex; Northampton; Nottingham; Ipswich, Suffolk; and Woking, Surrey.

Judge Neil McKittrick said: "I don't accept that this was some sort of cack-handed attempt to get money.

"It was highly sophisticated, highly pre-meditated and required a degree of pre-planning."

The court heard all four members of the gang had criminal records.

Mockford had committed 73 previous offences and Welford 42. Godwin, a former Royal Marine, had a conviction for illegal possession of a firearm and Bentley, had previous convictions for theft.

In addition to the prison sentences, Bentley and Goodwin were disqualified from driving for three years and Mockford and Welford were disqualified for five years each.