Shrewsbury railway line cable thieves avoid immediate jail

Kyle Bramwell and Kevin Hunter targeted the line in Condover, near Shrewsbury, where they attempted to take £957 worth of cable.

Bramwell, 28, of Skegby Road, Kirkby, Ashfield, Nottinghamshire and 31-year-old Kevin Hunter of Sherwood Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, admitted theft at Gloucester Crown Court.

Hunter, who has 33 previous convictions for burglary, theft, drugs offences and handling stolen goods, was given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work and to pay £12,500 in compensation.

Bramwell, who only had one previous conviction for drink-driving, was given a four-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, 50 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £300 compensation.

Bramwell, who had previously worked on the railways for seven years as an electrician, gave Hunter inside information as to where the valuable copper cabling was located, the court heard.

Hunter then stole the cabling – worth £12,040 – from beside the track at Standish, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, on December 12, 2012 and attempted to steal the £957 of cabling from Condover between February 14 and February 23, 2013.

Hunter admitted stealing cabling belonging to Network Rail and attempted theft of cabling, while Bramwell pleaded guilty to encouraging or assisting the theft of the cabling.

Simon Burns, prosecuting for British Transport Police, told the court: "Hunter travelled to the Standish location seven times to collect the cabling from trenches beside the tracks after being in mobile phone communication with Bramwell.

"The copper cabling was cut into five-metre sections and this was clearly a very professional operation.

"Bramwell had worked at both sites and told Hunter where to go.

"During the second offence police arrived at the scene near Shrewsbury and disturbed the offenders, who made off.

"Although the cabling stolen was valued at £12,040, Hunter sold it for just £6,000, but the cost of repair and to relay the cable was around £23,000."

Defending Bramwell, Paul Grumbar said: "My client provided the information to Mr Hunter but he himself made no profit.

"He is in work with a good job and his partner is expecting a baby."

Sabhia Pahan for Hunter said: "My client has a good job as a power station employee and is also due around £6,000 compensation as the victim of a hit-and-run incident and is prepared to pay back £600 a month and would hope to discharge his debt to Network Rail in its entirety."

After the case British Transport police officer Andy Jones said: "We are delighted with this prosecution and the result."