As families sat together to eat in restaurants, a callous burglary gang silently attached trackers to their cars.
Once inside the properties, Prosecutor Philip Astbury detailed how the gang members "ignored" high-value items such as iPads, iPhones and televisions, focusing instead on their intended haul, having already secured an "established outlet" for their stolen jewellery in the Doncaster area. The resident couple and their two children returned home around 11pm to discover muddy footprints throughout their house and up to £5,900 in cash missing, including several hundred pounds which was their young son's birthday money.
Undeterred, the crooks moved to a property on Lyndhurst Avenue in Mossley Hill. The resident had gone to bed about half an hour earlier but heard banging on her bedroom window. During questioning, the suspect insisted to detectives "I don't do burglaries" but then alleged he had "been used as a slave" and pointed the finger at a man from the travelling community, claiming he had cleaned a van for him once in return for methadone.
Beesley continued, highlighting the impact of these events on Devany's life: "He tells me that, after that, his life went downhill. He was offered heroin and fell into addiction very quickly." "He hopes your honour will see there is some remorse. He does note the suffering that he has caused." "I have no doubt that other judges have in the past, and it has clearly made little difference. In some instances, occupiers were present and disturbed by the gang's presence."