Man denies £50,000 Shrewsbury jewellery burglaries

Martin Williams appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday to face a series of burglary and theft charges.

The 34-year-old, from Chester, spoke only to confirm his name and address and to say "not guilty" to all of the 18 charges facing him.

Williams is charged with burglary with intent to steal at the Parade Shopping Centre and The Snug Cafe on May 20 last year.

He is also accused of burgling Rocks Silver of £51,247 worth of jewellery on the same date and of taking cameras and lens equipment in a burglary on the same night at Bill Leighton Studios.

Williams is also charged with escaping with £150 cash from another store in the Parade, health firm Revive, during the break-in.

He stands accused of breaking into the Parade a second time, on September 21 last year, the court heard.

Williams is charged, all on that date, with burglary with intent to steal at The Snug Cafe, taking a computer and £90 in cash from Revive, and escaping with a "quantity" of antique items from DCM Antiques. He also faces a number of other charges relating to the theft of alcohol from Co-op stores in Ludlow and Church Stretton.

Williams is charged with taking five bottles of booze from the Church Stretton store on June 5 last year, a quantity of alcohol on June 16, one bottle of vodka on July 24, and a quantity of alcohol again on October 3 and October 8.

He is also stands accused of taking six bottles of booze from the Ludlow store on June 5 last year, two bottles of whisky on July 15, and six bottles of alcohol on October 10.

Judge Peter Barrie adjourned the case and remanded Williams in custody ahead of his trial, which has been pencilled in to start at Shrewsbury on March 16.

It was reported at the time that more than £65,000 worth of property was either stolen or damaged in two separate overnight raids on the Parade Shopping Centre, one in May this year and the second in September.

In May raiders broke in to the shopping centre in St Mary's Place and escaped with more than £50,000 worth of jewellery from Rocks Silver and £10,000 worth of photographic equipment from Bill Leighton Studios on the ground floor.

They also broke windows of The Snug Cafe and Revive aromatherapy massage business on the lower level.

In the early hours of September 21, burglars again broke into the centre and targeted four shop units. Again they targeted the cafe and two vases, four ceramic bowls and a ceramic plate worth £300 was taken from DCM Antiques.Windows and glass panels were broken at the other two units.

Anyone with information is urged to call police on the non-emergency 101 number.