Eleven men jailed for stealing nearly 100 vehicles in 96 days to sell to organised crime networks – including disability adapted car
Eleven people have been jailed after stealing 98 vehicles worth £3.45 million during an organised 96-day spree.
Jimmy Doran, 22 of Windmill Lane, Ladbroke, Morgan Spiers, 27 of no fixed address, Shane Young, 34 of HMP Hewell, Eric Pearce, 29 of HMP Stoke Health, Chance Gill, 27 of Eckington Road, Eckington, and Bradley Archer, 29 of Rynal Place, Evesham, were sentenced today (17 Apr 2026) at Worcester Crown Court to a combined total of 63 years and six months.
Charlie Coombs, 20 of Grafton Lane, Alcester, Charlie Taylor-Bates, 20 of Shakespear Lane, Evesham, Jack Stephens, 19 of HMYOI Brinsford, Riley Reeve, 28 of Pitwell Lane, Evesham, and Wesley Hunt, 50 of no fixed address, were sentenced on 16 April at the same court to a combined total of 31 years and four months. The judge has also imposed discretionary driving qualifications on the five defendants.
The defendants were jailed for a combined total of 94 years and 10 months.
Between 19 May and 22 August 2024, the defendants carried out about one burglary per day across West Mercia, Warwickshire, Thames Valley, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dyfed Powys, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. They broke in while families slept to steal keys to high-performance vehicles, which they then sold on social media.
The defendants forced entry through windows and doors and caused £27,799 of damage. They then searched throughout homes, including victims' bedrooms while they slept.
They also stole £119,000 worth of cash, handbags, wallets and sentimental jewellery. One victim recalled the added distress caused by the burglary knowing his mother-in-law, who was on end-of-life care, was in the house at the time. Another family's children were terrified in the night to find intruders shining torches into their bedroom. The defendants also stole one disabled victim’s specially adapted vehicle and discarded his wheelchair in a nearby ditch. Another victim, a 93-year-old pensioner, woke to find a defendant searching his bedside table, while his wife's sentimental jewellery was stolen, including a watch given to her by her late father.
After stealing car keys, the defendants drove vehicles away at high speeds and the stolen cars were quickly sold to criminals in the West Midlands area and moved on through criminal networks. Some were stripped for parts while others were used to commit further offences with cloned plates.
A total of 40 vehicles were recovered but most had been severely damaged or stripped which resulted in insurance write-offs. Some of the stolen vehicles were found across the country, with one discovered stripped at a dock in Essex, one traced to Northern Ireland, and another was found in Azerbaijan.
Two defendants, Morgan Spiers and Chance Gill, also admitted involvement in a further 23 burglaries between November 2024 and January 2025, during which 15 high-performance vehicles were stolen, adding a further £687,402 in losses. Across both operations, the total value of stolen property, damage and associated costs exceeded £4 million.
Building the case
Prosecutors worked closely with eight police forces to build a strong evidential case against the defendants. CCTV footage, forensic evidence, and photos and videos of defendants using stolen vehicles shortly after burglaries were central to the prosecution.
Mobile phone analysis was cross-referenced against vehicle tracking data and ANPR records which placed the defendants at the crime scenes. When they were arrested, their phones were seized and analysed which also revealed how the group sold vehicles to third parties.
Adam Till, Specialist Prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "These were coordinated and planned burglaries by a group of defendants who were indiscriminate as to who they targeted.
“They were motivated solely by greed and took pleasure in driving stolen vehicles dangerously and at high speed, endangering the public further.
“They left victims scared in their own homes and without critical transport, often in rural areas. As such, victims had difficulties attending medical appointments, taking children to school, and were left dealing with financial losses through seeking alternative transport and repairs to damage caused to their homes.
“The sentences passed reflect both the scale of the offending and the profound impact on victims across the country.
"We hope these sentences bring some comfort to all those affected and that they send out a clear message that the CPS will work tirelessly with our policing partners to bring organised criminal groups to justice, no matter how complex the case."
Notes to editors
• Jimmy Doran (DOB: 15 Jun 2003) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and sentenced to 11 years and two months' imprisonment.
• Riley Reeve (DOB: 22 Mar 1998) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and sentenced to four years nine months.
• Charlie Taylor-Bates (DOB: 17 Sep 2005) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and and sentenced to four years and 10 months imprisonment.
• Bradley Archer (DOB:15 Nov 1996 ) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and sentenced to seven years and six months.
• Charlie Coombs (DOB: 9 Oct 2005) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and was sentenced to eight years and three months detention.
• Wesley Hunt (DOB: 9 Feb 1976) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and was sentenced to seven years and two months’ imprisonment.
• Morgan Spiers (DOB: 20 Nov 1998) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977, conspiracy to commit dwelling burglary, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977, conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977, causing serious injury by dangerous driving contrary to section 1A of the Road Traffic Act 1988, driving whilst disqualified contrary to section 103(a)(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and using a motor vehicle without insurance contrary to section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. He was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment.
• Shane Young (DOB: 19 May 1991) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and sentenced to eight years and four months' imprisonment.
• Jack Stephens (DOB: 19 Jan 2007) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and was sentenced to six years and four months detention.
• Eric Pearce (DOB: 31 August 1996 ) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and sentenced to 10 years and six months' imprisonment.
• Chance Gill (DOB: 29 Mar 1999) was convicted of conspiracy to commit a burglary with intent to steal, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977, conspiracy to commit dwelling burglary, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977, conspiracy to conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove criminal property contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977, dangerous driving, contrary to section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and fail to stop vehicle when directed contrary to section 35(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment.