A crime gang has been jailed after stealing property worth millions of pounds from farms and rural communities.
Seven men were sentenced to a combined total of 25 years and five months at Shrewsbury Crown Court last month after pleading guilty at a previous hearing. All seven were charged with conspiracy to steal from another.
Police said the organised crime group were responsible for stealing up to £10 million of agricultural equipment having targeted rural businesses across Shropshire and the north Wales.
Offenders
Shropshire farmers and those in the rural community also played an important role, working with the police officers to help report incidents, gather intelligence and identify offenders.
The guilty men were:
• Andrew Baker, 36, of Lovell Close, Shifnal (four years and five months)
• Christopher Downes, aged 35, of Park View, Broseley (seven months)
• Thomas Nutt, aged 27, of Bridgnorth Road, Broseley (four years and five months
• Wayne Price, aged 32, of Cross Houses, Shrewsbury (nine years)
• Dean Rogerson, aged 34, of Homelands Park, Ketley Bank (three years and one month)
• Neil Shevlin, aged 32, of Four Winds in Norton, Shifnal (one year and two months)
• Ryan Taylor, aged 32, of Hayward Parade, Telford (two years and six months)Shropshire farmer Andrew Craig had two tractors, a hedge cutter and diesel bowser stolen in August 2023. “The kit was stolen during harvest so it had a real impact on the business,” he said.
“All of our stolen kit was recovered within a three-mile radius of the farm and that was thanks in the main due to our farmer WhatsApp group, local vigilance and people knowing the lie of the land.
Praising police who caught the offenders, Mr Craig added: “Shropshire farmers
may now be able to breathe a big sigh of relief and I hope the sentencing acts as a deterrent to others but rural crime will remain an issue.”
Evidence
Detectives also uncovered that the criminal gang was also responsible for a number of thefts in Montgomeryshire. They were then linked to an investigation being carried out by Dyfed-Powys Police.
Working together, the forces collated and collected evidence relating to more than 150 offences from August 2022 through to February 2024, explained detective sergeant Ben Docherty, of Shropshire’s Serious Acquisitive Crime Team.
“We hope this sentence sends a strong message to anyone involved in this type of criminality that we take rural crime incredibly seriously and will investigate and do everything to ensure offenders are put before the courts.
NFU Shropshire chair Kate Mayne, who farms near Shrewsbury, said: “ “When farmers, police, local authorities and government work together, we see real progress, from targeted enforcement to better support for victims.”