Dramatic footage shows moment £90,000 gin distillery raiders caught in cop chase
Dramatic footage captures the moment five bungling thieves were stopped in their tracks by police - just hours after stealing £90,000 worth of fancy drinks from a gin factory.
Police chased the gang who stole gin, rum and champagne in an ambitious robbery before zooming off in a big lorry. The five thieves broke into a distillery in Wadebridge, Cornwall, early on September 8 last year. Cops got a tip-off and spotted a big lorry on the M5 with fake number plates and followed it onto the M42 near Birmingham. They set up a moving road block and stung the lorry, causing the tyres to deflate.
Footage shows the driver speeding along the M42 and leaving at junction 9 where he drove around the roundabout. He then tried to join the motorway exit the wrong way, driving towards cars coming the other way. A police car is seen trying to stop the lorry, which left one of the officers with severe bruising and whiplash.
The lorry then hit another car, hurting three more people, before another police car pushed the lorry into the middle barrier. The driver of the lorry then fled, running away across the busy lanes of the motorway - but was caught further away.
Pictured: The lorry trying but failing to evade police (West Midlands Police / SWNS)The man sitting in the front seat was also arrested on the grass at the side of the road. Inside the back of the lorry, police found three men with the stolen drinks. Birmingham Crown Court heard that the theft had been planned a lot and each of the gang had their own jobs. Thugs who ran riot in a burglary spree have been locked up for more than 10 years.
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The gang of five - Adam Leek, Sam Hall, James Delaney, Joshua Selvey and Reiss Crombie - caused chaos during the raid. They ransacked the premises, smashed bottles of alcohol and damaged entry points. Driver Adam Leek, 40, was jailed for five years and eight months for conspiracy to commit burglary, assaulting emergency workers, dangerous driving and driving while disqualified and uninsured. He was also banned from driving for 65 months.
Front seat passenger Sam Hall, who has no fixed address, was jailed for 31 months for conspiracy to commit burglary and possession of drugs.
Inside the back of the lorry, police found three men with the stolen drinks (West Midlands Police / SWNS)
Police managed to catch the crooks (West Midlands Police / SWNS)James Delaney, Joshua Selvey and Reiss, all from Birmingham, were each jailed for 33, 28 and 28 months respectively for conspiracy to commit burglary. Selvey was also convicted of possession of drugs, while Delaney failed to appear in court for a second time and was sentenced in his absence. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Inspector Sion Hathaway, from Central Motorway Police Group, said: "Our officers are highly trained at driving in unpredictable and dangerous situations. They continually assess any pursuit to determine risk to the subject vehicle and other road users."
"The driver of the lorry had only one aim, which was to avoid capture, no matter the cost to other members of the public. We were assisted by the National Police Air Service to bring the incident to conclusion as safely as possible. The brave actions of my staff are a reminder of how police officers don't hesitate to put themselves in harm's way to protect the public.
"Had the officers not taken positive action to stop this vehicle the consequences could have been catastrophic. The serious injuries suffered by two officers left them in severe pain and needing lengthy treatment, which they are continuing to recover from today. I applaud their actions on the day which no doubt prevented potential injury to members of the public."
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