Professional burglary gang stole jewellery, cars and cash worth £180,000 in 'sophisticated' raids across Leeds and the north of England

A professional burglary gang stole more than £180,000 worth of jewellery, luxury cars and cash in 'highly sophisticated' raids on homes across the north of England including Leeds and West Yorkshire.
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John Price, Henry Price and John Swales were jailed for a total of more than 18 years today after pleading guilty to a burglary conspiracy which lasted more than a year before it ended with a dramatic police car chase.

A total of 18 homes were targeted in Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Otley, Harrogate, Ilkley, Shipley, Baildon, Bolton and Nottinghamshire.

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Leeds Crown Court heard homes were broken into and ransacked after being carefully selected.

Henry Price, John Price and John Swales were jailed over a burglary conspiracy in which they targeted 18 homes and stole jewellery, cars and cash worth 180,000.Henry Price, John Price and John Swales were jailed over a burglary conspiracy in which they targeted 18 homes and stole jewellery, cars and cash worth 180,000.
Henry Price, John Price and John Swales were jailed over a burglary conspiracy in which they targeted 18 homes and stole jewellery, cars and cash worth 180,000.

The gang often targeted the homes of wealthy Asian families in order to steal jewellery.

On one occasion, a house in Bradford was broken into and £45,000 worth of highly-sentimental family jewellery was stolen.

The gang used stolen cars fitted with false number plates to commit the offences and were equipped with walkie talkies, sledgehammers, screwdrivers and knives.

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Homes were often sprayed with cleaning fluids such as washing up liquid and Dettol or vegetable oil in a bid to destroy forensic evidence.

Henry PriceHenry Price
Henry Price

The gang carried ammonia during the offences and planned to use the liquid as a weapon against one who tried to stop them.

Reconnaissance was carried out in advance of the burglaries.

On one occasion the gang was seen taking photographs of houses in Guiseley, Leeds.

The offences took place between July 2016 and January 2018.

John PriceJohn Price
John Price
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At the time Swales was on the run after absconding from prison where he had been serving a prison sentence for burglary.

Tom Storey prosecuting said jewellery worth £103,850, vehicles worth £66,500 and £9,225 in cash was stolen in total.

The three men were helped by Paul Ward.

Ward supplied them with cloned number plates which were fitted to vehicles to avoid detection.

John SwalesJohn Swales
John Swales

Burglaries included a break-in at a house in Worksop on October 30, 2017, in which a safe was smashed open.

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A Rolex Submariner watch was taken along with keys to an Audi which was driven away from the house.

Washing up liquid was sprayed over the rear door of the house to thwart the forensic investigation.

A family home on Bowling Old Lane, Bradford, was broken into on December 23, 2017, and £45,000 worth of jewellery and £5,000 in cash was taken.

Some of the jewellery, including gold bangles with a distinctive leaf design, were recovered from a caravan where Swales was living when he was arrested.

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An Audi stolen in a raid on a house in Newark on December 29, 2017, was later recovered by police in Castleford and found to contain false number plates, bottles of cleaning fluid and walkie talkies.

A house in Bolton was ransacked on January 16, 2018, and £12,000 worth of cash and jewellery was stolen.

The gang targeted homes in Baildon on January 17, 2018. A BMW was stolen during a break-in at one property.

A house on West Busk Lane, Otley, was broken into the next day while the homeowner was out jogging.

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The house was searched by the burglars who sprayed laundry liquid around the property before leaving with a diamond ring.

Later the same day they were seen in an Audi taking photographs of homes on Branwell Avenue, Guiseley.

A house on Potovens Lane, Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, was broken into on January 23.

No property was taken but a neighbour was threatened when he tried to intervene.

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An Audi was stolen during a break-in at a house on Wetherby Road, Harrogate, on January 24.

Later the same day the burglars dismantled an alarm at a house in Baildon before stealing a handbag and jewellery worth £17,000.

Vegetable oil was then poured over the door, kitchen floor and worktops.

Police saw John and Henry Price in a stolen Audi fitted with false number plates on Bar Lane, Wakefield, on January 29.

The Audi collided with police cars before the pair ran off.

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John Price was arrested as he hid in bushes and was in possession of a bottle of ammonia.

Henry Price managed to get away after persuading a takeaway delivery driver to drive him to Middleton Park Avenue in Leeds when he told him he urgently needed to visit a sick relative..

He was arrested two months later at Manchester Airport as he returned from a holiday in Tenerife.

Swales was arrested at a caravan park in Barnsley.

A total of £83,350 was recovered during a search of the caravan along with jewellery stolen during the burglaries.

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Sentencing the men, Judge Christopher Batty said: "The three of you were involved in a campaign of professionally planned and executed dwelling house burglaries across the north of England.

"Houses of obvious significant value were chosen in the knowledge that they would contain large amounts of cash or jewellery or high powered vehicles.

The judge added: "The ammonia could have been used to assist you should you have been challenged during the commission of the burglaries."

John Price, 20, of Nuttall Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to steal, possessing an offensive weapon and attempted burglary. He was jailed for seven years

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Henry Price, 23, of Leaway, Wigan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal. He was jailed for.seven-and-a half-years.

John Swales, 26, of Sherdley Road Caravan Park, Sherdley Road, St Helens , pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to steal and money laundering.

He was jailed for three years and nine months. The sentence will run consecutively to the 90-month prison term he is currently serving

Paul Ward, 33, of Maddison Avenue, Bradford, pleaded guilty to being involved in a money laundering arrangement.

He was given an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work