Gang who sawed into Oxfordshire ATMs jailed for 30 years

The crooks were part of a burglary gang who broke into ATMs in takeaways and shops across more than four counties.

Between 2022 and 2023 they struck 17 businesses across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and in the West Mercia police area.

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They used a stolen fire service angle grinder, normally used to free car crash victims, to slice open cash machines.

Footage shows the Birmingham-based gang raiding an ATM at a Tesco in Hewlett Road, Cheltenham, on September 7 last year.

A stolen BMW on false plates pulls up and three men use a saw and crowbars to force their way into the cash machine, while a fourth acts as a lookout.

As police arrived minutes later, the gang threw rocks and bricks at officers, forcing one of the cops to hide behind his car.

Another thug threw a brick at the front passenger window where an officer was sitting.

The gang then rammed the police car out of the way before escaping.

In another raid, the gang tried breaking into an ATM at a Tesco Express in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.

Sparks from an angle grinder caused a fire to break out which spread to a next-door baker's shop causing an estimated £1 million worth of damage.

On August 31 last year, gang member Reece Pedley was among a group that broke into Snappy Tomato Pizza in Coventry.

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CCTV shows the burglars using specialist cutting equipment to steal thousands of pounds from the cash machine.

A major investigation involving six police forces was launched to catch the gang.

Officers identified the gang using mobile phone records, CCTV, vehicle tracking data and witness accounts.

They were arrested in November and December last year and admitted to conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to handle stolen vehicles and goods.

Each of the men pleaded guilty to their roles in only some of the raids but between them, they admitted taking part in 17 different offences.

Detectives traced some of the tools back to a break-in at Warwickshire where £50,000 worth of specialist tools were stolen from a fire station in 2022.

On Monday (April 8) the four men were jailed for a total of more than 30 years at Birmingham Crown Court.

Justin Buckley, 40, of Hall Green, was jailed for eight years and four months.

Chris Hands, 37, of Kings Heath, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years. In addition to the conspiracy charges, he admitted to one burglary.

Reece Pedley, 34, of Yardley Wood, was jailed for seven years and seven months while

John O'Shaughnessy, 36, of Kings Heath, was sentenced to eight years.

Detective Constable Edward Costello, from West Midlands Police Major Crime Proactive Team, said: "This was a professional and organised criminal gang who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from businesses, and weren't afraid to use force to get what they wanted.

"They threatened and used significant force against civilians and police who tried to intervene, and they were persistent.

"On one day, they broke into a Tesco Express near Oxford, but found the cash machine empty. Two hours later, they struck at a Tesco Express in Warwickshire.

"They knew where these machines were and how to access them.

"Everyone knew their role, whether it was acting as a lookout or cutting into the machines.

"The theft of the equipment obviously compromised the ability of the fire service to protect communities.

"Thankfully, we've now bought them to justice and they will be spending many years behind bars."