Leeds Crown Court: Accomplices who played 'damsels in distress' in car theft conspiracy dodge jail

Rachael Bennett, 36, and Molly Kerr, 20, were both found to have done groundwork for a scammer to break into vehicles in Leeds.

In separate incidents, they lied to innocent locksmiths in attempts to get access to expensive cars.

The plan was for ringleader Kyle Bucknall, 32, to drive away in the stolen vehicles.

But their efforts were thwarted when some of the locksmiths realised what was going on. The women were arrested and both pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to steal motor vehicles.

The YEP reported last week that Bucknall, of Saxon Green, Moortown, had been jailed for eight years after admitting a string of offences.

And on Monday (October 30), it was the turn of accomplices Bennett and Kerr, as they went before Leeds Crown Court for sentencing.

But despite a judge describing the pair as “leading players” in the scheme, they were handed suspended sentences rather than time in prison.

Prosecuting, Sam Roxborough explained: “Effectively, Mr Bucknall would be the leader and vehicles would be targeted.

“A locksmith would be called and one of the accomplices would be identified as the vehicle owner. This was described by the probation service as a ‘damsel in distress’ scenario.

“The locksmith would be paid for their work and hand over the keys, which would allow Mr Bucknall to access the car and remove it from the original location.”

Bennett, of Greenfield Court, Wakefield, was involved in four incidents. In the fourth of those her efforts were thwarted by a locksmith who realised what was happening and phoned the police in September of last year.

Mitigating for Bennett, Rukshanda Hussain argued that pressure was put on her to become involved and that she has since expressed remorse.

Kerr, of King Edward Avenue, Horsforth, was involved in just one incident. She told a locksmith in August of last year that she needed a key for her grandfather. But when they arrived to open the car, a neighbour told the locksmith that it belonged to someone else.

Mitigating for Kerr, Caroline Abraham explained the defendant has “never been in trouble before” and that there was also pressure put on her to become involved.

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC told the pair: “I’m not sending you to prison today, although this was really serious offending and you were up to your eyeballs in it.

“You know how much people rely on their cars. You came up with this scheme with Mr Bucknall who planned to take cars just because he wanted them. You decided you would help, but this was not in some kind of second-rate, subservient role. You were both leading players.”

He gave Bennett a sentence of a year, which was suspended for a year, as well as 50 hours of unpaid work and 13 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Kerr was given a sentence of eight months, suspended for a year, with a community order in place for a year and 50 hours of unpaid work.