XMAS HEIST
Watch moment gang who called themselves ‘Sticky Bandits’ after film crooks TIP van over while trying to flee £2.6m raid
Thieves also filmed pretending to mourn at gravestone while carrying out recce mission
THIS is the moment a gang who called themselves the "Sticky Bandits" after Home Alone tipped a lorry over while trying to flee a raid.
The crooks targeted businesses in a £2.6million crime spree over the Christmas break to avoid being detected.
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During their rampage, the gang were filmed tipping over a lorry that was laden down with stolen goods.
One of the raiders also posed as a mourner in a cemetery to carry out a reconnaissance missing on a warehouse opposite.
They then sent a voice note to a pal, asking: "Do you think I'm sad that I made it look like I was mourning on a grave so I could scope out the building?"
The thieves also spray-painted the words "Ha ha. Merry Xmas, Happy New Year" on the floor of one premises before torching a lorry.
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In one video taken by the thugs, they referred to themselves as the "Sticky Bandits" - a reference to the burglars from the Home Alone films.
Ten firms in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, Bilston, Perry Barr, Brierley Hill, Kidderminster, Tamworth and Shrewsbury were hit.
The brazen gang made off with £2.6million worth of stolen metal and other goods using heavy-duty machinery to break in.
They would take it back to their base at an industrial unit in Wolverhampton where the goods would be sold to sketchy scrap dealers.
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Their crime spree only came to an end when police CCTV and phone records to identify the gang, who were arrested in a series of dawn raids last June.
The five men have now been jailed for more than 30 years in total after they admitted conspiracy to burgle commercial premises.
Adam Shakespeare, 31, was jailed for six years and five months.
David Smith, 36, Lee Fletcher, 33, and Royston Hallard, 30, each received six years and four months.
While David Williams, 44, was sentenced to three years and four months.
West Midlands Police said the gang went to great lengths to avoid being caught during the six month spree.
The total loss of materials and vehicles cost firms £1.6million, while damage to the buildings were around £200,000.
Officers said a loss of sales, the cost of beefing up security and the increased insurance premiums amounted to over £800,000.
Detective Constable Kelly Whyte, from West Midlands Police's Major Crime Proactive Unit, said: "This was serious, organised and professional criminality on an industrial scale, that saw the theft of materials and vehicles valued at more than £1.6m, not to mention the disruption to business and emotional impact on those affected.
"They would focus on sites that were tucked away from houses, and struck over holiday periods when they knew the risk of them being disturbed was lower.
"The videos recovered from their mobile phones show how they relished what they were doing and would laugh and joke with each other.
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"When we identified similarities between the offences, we launched a major investigation based on forensics, analysis of mobile phones and CCTV which meant we were able to move in and arrest the gang in dawn raids last June.
"We're pleased that they are now starting significant prison sentences, which should send a message to anyone involved in serious and organised crime that we will hunt them down and bring them to justice."
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