A gang involved in an organised lorry theft of more than £1.5m of goods was caught in a failed ram-raid at a jewellery shop. CCTV footage released by West Yorkshire Police shows a pickup truck reversing into Hyman's Jewellers in Leeds, shattering the shop window before ringleader John Kitchen exits from a blue saloon. The shop owner triggered the security shutter and alerted the police as soon as Kitchen enters the shop with a sledgehammer. Kitchen is seen rifling through the window display and steals a Rolex watch. At the same time, his accomplice Kieran Marshall reverses the red pickup truck again in an attempt to block it. Worried Kitchen can be heard repeatedly yelling 'F***!' when the truck nearly squashed him while reversing. Kitchen desperately pushes the truck and falls forward when Marshall drives forward. The shop owner managed to keep the robbers from outside the shop. The perpetrators were arrested along with five other members and charged with conspiracy to steal from HGV between November 2017 and May 2018. Kitchen, 28, of Tarnside Drive, Seacroft, was found guilty at a trial in last February of the ram-raid robbery that happened in October, 2017. He was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in relations to the robberies and the conspiracy to steal from HGVs. Kieran Marshall, aged 29, of Hawkshead Crescent, Seacroft, was sentenced to 14 years and six months for the Hyman’s robbery and the conspiracy. Other members of the gang were handed jail terms after being charged with the conspiracy. The group was jailed for a total of 43 years. Dominic Bailey, aged 30, of Potternewton Lane, Chapel Allerton, was jailed for four years and six month for his part in the conspiracy. Jade Brannan, aged 29, of Finch Drive, Colton, was sentenced to six months for the conspiracy. She was given to two years and six months for possession of cocaine with intent to supply in relation to the drugs investigation when she appeared at court in October last year. Liam Bellwood, aged 33, of Sutherland Terrace, Burmantofts, was jailed for four years and four months for the conspiracy and for the robbery of a woman at Hetchell Wood, in Milner Lane, Thorner, in October 2018. Shane Henriques, aged 30, of Grange Close, Hunslet, was sentenced to 19 months. Benjamin McCarron, aged 31, of Zermatt Street, Chapel Allerton, was given an 18-month suspended sentence. Kieran Smith, aged 28, of Scott Hall Avenue, Chapeltown, was sentenced to two years for the conspiracy. Inspector Mick Preston, who led the investigation, said: "The ringleaders of this group are prolific criminals with long offending histories who have been negative role models of the worst kind in their communities over a number of years. "As these offences clearly illustrate, they are motivated purely by greed and care nothing for the harm and fear their behaviour causes to their victims. "We hope the significant prison sentences they have received will help to reassure their vi
Jewellers ram-raid backfires as robber wiped out by reversing pickup truck
A gang involved in an organised lorry theft of more than £1.5m of goods was caught in a failed ram-raid at a jewellery shop. CCTV footage released by West Yorkshire Police shows a pickup truck reversing into Hyman's Jewellers in Leeds, shattering the shop window before ringleader John Kitchen exits from a blue saloon. The shop owner triggered the security shutter and alerted the police as soon as Kitchen enters the shop with a sledgehammer. Kitchen is seen rifling through the window display and steals a Rolex watch. At the same time, his accomplice Kieran Marshall reverses the red pickup truck again in an attempt to block it. Worried Kitchen can be heard repeatedly yelling 'F***!' when the truck nearly squashed him while reversing. Kitchen desperately pushes the truck and falls forward when Marshall drives forward. The shop owner managed to keep the robbers from outside the shop. The perpetrators were arrested along with five other members and charged with conspiracy to steal from HGV between November 2017 and May 2018. Kitchen, 28, of Tarnside Drive, Seacroft, was found guilty at a trial in last February of the ram-raid robbery that happened in October, 2017. He was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in relations to the robberies and the conspiracy to steal from HGVs. Kieran Marshall, aged 29, of Hawkshead Crescent, Seacroft, was sentenced to 14 years and six months for the Hyman’s robbery and the conspiracy. Other members of the gang were handed jail terms after being charged with the conspiracy. The group was jailed for a total of 43 years. Dominic Bailey, aged 30, of Potternewton Lane, Chapel Allerton, was jailed for four years and six month for his part in the conspiracy. Jade Brannan, aged 29, of Finch Drive, Colton, was sentenced to six months for the conspiracy. She was given to two years and six months for possession of cocaine with intent to supply in relation to the drugs investigation when she appeared at court in October last year. Liam Bellwood, aged 33, of Sutherland Terrace, Burmantofts, was jailed for four years and four months for the conspiracy and for the robbery of a woman at Hetchell Wood, in Milner Lane, Thorner, in October 2018. Shane Henriques, aged 30, of Grange Close, Hunslet, was sentenced to 19 months. Benjamin McCarron, aged 31, of Zermatt Street, Chapel Allerton, was given an 18-month suspended sentence. Kieran Smith, aged 28, of Scott Hall Avenue, Chapeltown, was sentenced to two years for the conspiracy. Inspector Mick Preston, who led the investigation, said: "The ringleaders of this group are prolific criminals with long offending histories who have been negative role models of the worst kind in their communities over a number of years. "As these offences clearly illustrate, they are motivated purely by greed and care nothing for the harm and fear their behaviour causes to their victims. "We hope the significant prison sentences they have received will help to reassure their vi
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