Two Telford men jailed over part in £10,000 raid at firm
Two Telford men linked to a £10,000 burglary at a garage on the Shropshire/Powys border have both been jailed.
Stuart Stoker was directly involved in the raid at Knighton, near Ludlow, two years ago, and David Evans was found in possession of some of the stolen property.
At Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday Stoker was jailed for two years and Evans was given a total of 16 months in prison, which included two months for a breach of a conditional discharge for theft.
More than a dozen used catalytic convertors, six trail bikes, car batteries, cash and two vehicles were taken from David Vaughan Car Repairs in December, 2011.
Judge Robin Onions said that 26-year-old Stoker, who had a lengthy criminal record, had deliberately targeted the garage and had clearly been equipped for a break-in and needed cash to fuel his drug addiction.
He said Evans had a serious criminal record which included burglary and handling stolen goods and he had clearly realised the items he intended buying were stolen.
Stoker, of Brindleyford, Brookside, admitted a burglary charge and Evans, of Wyvern, Woodside, admitted a handling offence.
Mr Geoffrey Dann, prosecuting, said that a section of fencing was cut away at the Knighton Enterprise Park and used to climb 8ft to a window at the repair garage.
He said items were taken away using two vehicles outside the garage, a Subaru and a Fiat van.
The next day a police officer spotted catalytic converters being loaded by Evans into an Audi car at a lock-up garage at Brookside.
Stoker, who was arrested later, and a third man who had not been identified, were also there at the time.
Mr Dann said that the six trail bikes were also found and analysis of a phone found in the Audi showed it had been used in the Knighton area at the time of the burglary. He said all the stolen items, except the Fiat van, were recovered.
Mrs Debra White, for both defendants, said Stoker was not alone in the burglary, but needed to feed his cannabis addiction.
She said Evans worked as a labourer and carried on with his intention to purchase the catalytic convertors for scrap value after realising they were stolen.
