Ten years for raids on isolated homes

Judge John Maxwell sitting at Stafford Crown Court told Florin Codreanu, Cristinel Diaconu, Morian Dobre and Marian Boroiban that they had deliberately targeted isolated homes.

Mr Pat Sullivan, prosecuting, said their methods were always the same and they would drive around searching for a property which looked empty. They would then disable security systems, smash a rear door or window and make a search.

Mr Sullivan said the total value of the stolen goods was impossible to say, but most held great sentimental value to the victims.

One of the gang's victims was former car racer Peter Harvey, of Ellenhall, close to Stafford, who lost his motorcycle and car racing trophies engraved with various racing club names when thieves struck at his home.

It was the second time the former garage boss's home had been burgled in six months.

Items taken included a Donnington car race trophy for a pre-1971 circuit single-seat racing car and a trophy engraved with 'Dick Seaman trophy at Oulton Park'. Jewellery was also stolen in the burglary, on April 18.

It included a gold lady's watch and an engraved pair of gold oval men's cuff links belonging to his late father. The burglaries happened between February and May this year and the gang was rounded up on May 21 following two further break-ins, one in Gloucester, the other in Worcester.

Miss Lynette McClement, representing Boroiban, said he had arrived in the UK only six days before being arrested in Worcester.

Mr Michael Aspinall, for Dobre, said his client wanted to go back to Romania and would not oppose a deportation order.

Codreanu, aged 25, and Diaconu, 31, both of Wellesley Road, Oldbury, and Dobre, 31, of Clifton Road, Birmingham, admitted conspiracy to burgle. Boroiban, 34, of no fixed abode, admitted burgling a house in Worcester.

Diaconu was jailed for 45 months, Codreanu for 30 months, Dobre for 27 months and Boroiban was handed a 20-month jail term.