Three men jailed for north west Co-op and Tesco shop burglaries

Anthony Hollywood, Anthony Carroll and Daniel Kelly raided Co-op and Tesco shops while armed with ‘heavy duty’ sledgehammers and crowbars.

The trio – all fathers – made off with nearly £40,000 in cash after raiding seven convenience stores in the space of just over a month – including one in Runcorn.

But they have now been brought to justice and will spend close to 10 years in prison between them.

The defendants appeared before Liverpool Crown Court to be sentenced yesterday, Monday, after admitting conspiracy to commit burglary.

The charges relate to burglaries at Co-op and Tesco convenience store across Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester which occurred between February 10 and March 11 this year.

These included stores in Runcorn, Warrington, Southport, Crosby, Liverpool, Salford and Hoylake.

On each occasion, the gang would target the stores after closing, forcing open the electronic doors with a crowbar before prising open the roller shutters.

Once inside, they targeted the safes, forcing them open with sledgehammers and crowbars.

Hollywood and Kelly both admitted taking part in five of the burglaries, while Carroll admitted burgling two of the stores.

The Co-op store on Knutsford Road in Latchford (Image: Google Maps)

Carroll also admitted possession of criminal property in relation to cash that was seized at his address following his arrest.

The court heard how the Liverpool-based organised crime group first targeted the Co-op on Knutsford Road in Latchford at around 10.30pm on February 10.

Two men with a crowbar entered the building while another remained outside and stole £7,480. The following day saw a branch in Southport targeted at 11.15pm, with just over £6,500 taken.

A shop in Runcorn was then raided to the tune of £3,185 before two attacks on Valentine's Day. One incident in Salford saw more than £10,000 taken shortly before midnight on February 14.

Then, at around 1.30am, the offenders travelled to a convenience store in Hoylake and pinched £6,500. Later that same day, Hollywood was stopped by police and arrested.

Officers subsequently discovered £6,900 in cash in his bedroom, while clothing recovered matched that worn by an offender seen on CCTV footage.

The raids continued on March 12 though, when a Co-op in Formby was burgled for £2,697 in cash at around 11pm.

The spate of break-ins ended at the Co-op on Chaise Meadow in Lymm, after men brandishing a crowbar entered late at night and took more than £2,000.

The money stolen during all seven burglaries totalled £38,487.

The trio’s downfall came after Warrington detectives recovered ANPR data and mobile phone analysis which placed the trio at the scene of a number of the incidents.

The Co-op store on Chaise Meadow in Lymm (Image: Google Maps)

Carroll, a 42-year-old granddad of Longfellow Street in Liverpool, acted as a getaway driver and has 19 previous convictions for 44 offences, including previous for attempted burglary.

He was caged for two years and four months.

Kelly meanwhile, of Prior Street in Liverpool, has 56 convictions for 91 offences, including three for burglary.

The 31-year-old was jailed for three years and nine months.

Hollywood, the final member, of Stafford Drive in Liverpool, has racked up 23 convictions for 34 offences, including previous for burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.

The 42-year-old was locked up for three years and four months.

Before sentencing, judge Anil Murray said: “You all accept that this has to be an immediate custodial sentence.

“This was a professionally planned and executed series of burglaries designed to enable significant financial reward.”

All three will appear back before the court later this year for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing to learn if they will have to repay any of their ill-gotten gains.

DC Ian Morris, from Warrington CID which led the investigation, said: “I welcome the sentences handed to Hollywood, Kelly and Carroll, and I hope they act as a warning to other offenders.

“The trio were all members of an organised crime gang who carried out a series of carefully orchestrated burglaries at stores across the region.

“Following their arrests, all three suspects refused to answer any of the questions put to them by detectives.

“However, as a result of the strength of the evidence we gathered against them, all three men admitted their roles in the incidents at court and are now facing the consequences of their actions.

“The message is clear, if you come to Cheshire and commit crime, you will be caught and you will be brought to justice.”