Demolition man found guilty of being head of burglary gang.
Members of a burglary gang – including a former director of Mees Demolition Group – which targeted the homes of the rich and famous have been jailed.
Thomas Mee – together John Barlow and Vincent Ball – was behind a string of break-ins across the county, targeting homes including those of Manchester City star Raheem Sterling, Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay and Bury FC owner Steve Dale.
Chester Crown court was told the “career criminals” used cloned number plates to try and stay one step ahead of the law as they travelled the country carrying out serious crimes.
A total of more than £550,000 of jewellery, watches and handbags was taken from 14 properties across Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire between November 2018 and October 2018.
Mee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and handling stolen goods. Judge Steven Everett told the court Mee was at the top of the gang, organising the break-ins and then selling on the stolen goods. He pointed to the £125,000 in cash that police found at Mee’s city centre apartment after his arrest last year.
Judge Everett said Mee was at the ‘top of the tree’ and played a key role in ‘getting rid of the assets.’ He also said that in his view Mee’s professed remorse was ‘manufactured’, and jailed him for eight years and seven months.
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