Tenth car theft scheme man jailed

A tenth man charged with conspiracy to burgle homes and steal cars has been jailed for five years and four months.

Nine gang members were jailed during two trials last month.

Dennis Skiller, 28, of Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and was jailed at Luton Crown Court.

Judge Richard Foster said he regarded Skiller as a career burglar as he was already serving a 54-month sentence for two other similar offences.

The gang of 10 targeted homes across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire leaving high value stolen cars, including seven BMW's, near junction 11 of the M1 at Luton.

Homes raided

They were then driven to Wellingborough in Northamptonshire and some were later shipped to Poland.

Twenty-three cars, worth a total of £500,000, were stolen in 19 burglaries.

Homes were raided in Berkhamsted, Dunstable, Wheathamstead, Aylesbury, Heath and Reach, Harpenden, Wellingborough, Leighton Buzzard, Eaton Bray, Lower Stondon and Silsoe mainly during August and September last year.

Skiller maintained he was only involved in four burglaries - one in Berkhamsted, two in Harpenden and one in Eaton Bray.

Judge Foster told Skiller: "You have an horrific history of criminal conduct. Your record is full of dwelling house burglaries."

Gang members

He accepted the offences were committed against a background of drug addiction and that Skiller was now doing well in prison and trying to turn his life around.

Six gang members were jailed for conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

From Wellingborough Pawel Wodecki, 29 of Hatton Park Road, was sentenced to six years while brothers Thomaz, 21, and Zbigniew, 25, both of Highfield Road, got three years and three-and-half years respectively.

Matthew Harrison, 21 of Knox Road, and 21-year-old Ricky England, of Great Park Street, both in Wellingborough, were each jailed for two years.

David Clatworthy, 23, of High Street, Rushden, was jailed for 18 months.

Jumroz Khan, 30 of Wheatfield Road, Luton and John McCulloch, 28, of Regent Street, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, were jailed for three years and six years respectively after they admitted conspiracy to commit burglaries.

Abdul Hussain, 26, of Adams Close, Wellingborough, was convicted of both charges at a trial last month and is serving an eight-year sentence.