Gang jailed for total of 56 years

A GANG responsible for a string of violent burglaries across the North West were today jailed for a total of 56 years.
Six men from Widnes and Merseyside were arrested as a result of Operation Blackbird, a Cheshire Police operation.
They had carried out 25 burglaries at affluent homes across the region, including addresses in Warrington, Knutsford, and Mobberley.
Cash, jewellery and cars to the value of over £1.7 million pounds were netted by the men during their six month reign of terror.
Targeting owners of expensive houses by breaking into their homes in the middle of the night, the gang would threaten the occupants, often arming themselves with weapons such as bats and knives. The men carefully selected their targets, often attracted by expensive cars, upmarket homes and rural locations.
Stealing performance high powered cars from their victims, the gang would flee the scene of their crime and drive back home, driving dangerously and exceeding speeds of 140mph.
In February last year, the gang targeted a family home in Culcheth. The victim was ambushed by the men as he arrived home from work, threatened with a weapon and robbed of £20,000 worth of valuables.
Only days later the gang struck again, this time at Appleton, Warrington. The men broke into the house and dragged the victim from the shower, pushing him to the floor and demanding cash and valuables. He was threatened with a metal file and held in a room while the offenders ransacked the house. They fled the scene in the victims’ car.
Other burglaries were carried out in Northwich, Chester, Altrincham, Mere, Bolton, Sandbach and Mobberley.
The police operation led by Det Insp Kev Bennett began in April last year and involved hundreds of hours of intelligence gathering, and critically, the gathering of vital evidence that would put an end to the gang’s criminal activities and secure a conviction against them.
In the early hours of August 19 last year the operation reached its climax when more than 70 officers from Cheshire Police swooped on seven houses in Widnes and Merseyside associated with the men.
Arrested were John Bridge, 25, Alan Bridge, 24, Luke Bridge, 21, all Widnes, Adam Eden, 20, of St Helens, Adam Blowes, 19, of Huyton, James Boffey, 24, of Fazakerley and Sean Summers, 23 of Liverpool.
All pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary in April this year.
Det Insp Bennett said “These men showed a blatant disregard for the law, coupled with arrogance and contempt for our communities by instilling fear within their victims and causing them to no longer feel safe in their own home. We hope that this operation and todays’ sentence will reassure these victims and the public of Cheshire that we are actively targeting and successfully prosecuting those individuals who commit violent offences and seek to put our communities in fear”
One of the men, James Boffey, failed to appear in court for sentencing and police are anxious to speak to anyone who know where he is. Anyone help should call Cheshire Police on 0845 458 0000.