Members of a Wythenshawe gang who burgled houses and stole high-powered vehicles in South Manchester and Cheshire have been jailed.
One of the gang’s victims was dragged along the ground as he tried to stop the thieves attempting to steal a Mercedes Benz in Heald Green.
The victim was woken in the early hours of Wednesday 10 July 2013 to find the car being driven slowly away from the house on Syddall Avenue, Heald Green.
He ran outside and attempted to open the front passenger door of the vehicle when the offender immediately pressed the accelerator dragging the man alongside the vehicle until he fell to the floor. He suffered extensive friction burns on his body and a fractured knee-cap.
Seven men and one woman who were sentenced today, Monday 28 April 2014, at Manchester Crown Court, pleaded guilty for their involvement at an earlier hearing.
Gary Stanway, aged 22, of Tweenbrook Avenue, Newall Green was jailed for three and half years for conspiracy to steal; Josh Olumuyiwa, 22, of Barnwood Road, Newall Green was jailed for five years and four months and Mathew Toner, aged 23, of Gladeside Road, Wythenshawe was jailed for two years and four months for handling stolen goods and attempted burglary.
David France, aged 41, of Benchill Drive, Benchill was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for handling stolen goods, and Hayley Barker, 25 of Alders Road, Wythenshawe was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and 120 hours community service for handling stolen goods and perverting the course of justice.
Marcus Green, aged 23, of Greyfriars Road, Wythenshawe was sentenced to seven months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and 160 hours community service for handling stolen goods and Dean Stanway, 21, of Tweenbrook Avenue, Newall Green was sentenced for conspiracy to steal, burglary, breaching a suspended sentence and supplying drugs and was jailed for six years and four months.
A 17-year-old boy from Wythenshawe, who cannot be named, was sentenced to an 18 month detention training order for conspiracy to steal.
A further three defendants are due to be sentenced on Friday 9 May 2014.
The team of eleven people stole vehicles from residents in Wilmslow, Timperley, Hale, Handforth, Heald Green and Lymm between May 2013 and August 2013. The vehicles were used to commit further crimes and later disposed of.
Detective Constable Charlotte Burke said: “Operation Pavel was launched following a spate of robberies, burglaries and vehicle crime that went from Wythenshawe, Cheadle and Hale to as far afield as Wilmslow in Cheshire.
“Our investigations found these offences were linked to organised crime and today eight of the team have been sentenced.
“These criminals had no regard for those they were stealing from and in the case in Heald Green their actions caused a man to suffer extensive life altering injuries which were initially thought to be life threatening.
“I hope this sends a message to both criminals and our communities that we are committed to tackling organised crime groups and we will not let them continue to operate in our communities.
“Often the answers to tackling organised crime lie in the communities in which these people operate, so I would urge residents to tell us what is going on in their neighbourhood so we can take that information and work together to dismantle these criminal networks.”