CHIGWELL: Bungling ATM robbers jailed (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

CHIGWELL: Bungling ATM robbers jailed

5:43pm Friday 19th March 2010 in

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A TRIO of audacious thieves who tried to steal an entire ATM from a bank using a specially-modified 7.5 tonne truck have been jailed for a total of 14 years.

Darren Rutter, 32, of High Meadows in Chigwell, was sentenced to three years and four months at Wood Green Crown Court, along with two other defendants, who earlier pleaded guilty to a total of 13 burglaries across London, Essex, Sussex, Suffolk and Kent.

On February 12 Rutter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit three counts of burglary between October 2008 and July 2009.

Co-defendant Paul Thompson, 40, of Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, was sentenced to five years, after admitting conspiracy to commit five counts of burglary over the same period, dangerous driving and driving whilst being disqualified. He was also disqualified from driving for five years.

Jason Perry, 38, Clover Close, Leytonstone, received five years and eight months, after admitting conspiracy to commit nine counts of burglary over the same period, and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Just before 3am on July 25 last year, the trio used a the truck to pull a cash point from the branch of Barclay's bank in Finchley Road, Golders Green, in north London.

After mounting the machine on the back of the truck, Thompson drove it east along the A406 North Circular, where a ten-and-a-half mile chase ensued with police, during which he rammed several cars as he tried to evade arrest.

Officers finally caught up with Thompson when he mistakenly drove the truck into a dead-end off the Crooked Billet Road. He reversed at speed into the police cars that followed him, but was arrested following a violent struggle.

Perry and Rutter were arrested in a white printer's van parked near the bank. Both men also violently resisted arrest before they were taken into custody.

Two police officers were hurt and required hospital treatment for shoulder and head injuries, but are now back on full duty. Six vehicles were also damaged.

Officers later raided the trio's warehouse at 25 Billet Works, Billet Road in Walthamstow, where they found specialist equipment used to disable alarms during burglaries, including a snake-eye camera, a laser cutter, heavy-duty jacks and a crow bar.

The truck used in the cashpoint robbery has been modified with a hydraulic grabbing arm fitted to aid the theft, along with a camera to guide the arm to it's target.

Detective Inspector David Malcolm, of the Finchley Flying Squad, said: "The evidence against this gang of three is not only overwhelming but testimony to how much planning and precision they used to commit crime. This team went to great lengths to ensure that they had specialist equipment to aid them in their criminal activities.

"At the time of their arrests, Rutter, Thompson and Perry had absolutely no regard for anyone's safety. I would like to acknowledge the forward thinking and bravery of the officers at the Finchley Flying Squad, two of whom were injured during the course of the arrest and thank them for keeping disruption to members of the public to a minimum."