A thief told a shop worker "go on, ring the police, see what's going to happen" during a crime spree.
Adam Donoghue, 33, and Peter Neary, 39, have been jailed for burglaries they committed across Wirral and Cheshire in 2021. Officers said the pair believed they were "untouchable" but police were able to eventually tie them to 14 raids across the region.
Neary, who has already served time for escaping from a prison van during the Giants parade in Liverpool, the attempted burglary of Dave Pluck bookmakers on Lord Street, and an attempted burglary at a pub in St Helens while he was still on the run, was previously described as a "career burglar" with 97 previous offences on his charge sheet.
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While Donoughue, whose previous addresses have been given as HMP Walton and Altcourse, has also already served time for a string of burglaries including a Co-Op store in Birkenhead where £1,000 in cash was taken from a safe; Dillon’s News, Warbreck Moor, where £5,000 in stock and £2,500 in cash was taken and a Warrington service station where the weekend takings of £20,960 was stolen.
During most incidents police said they used a "distraction technique" with Donoghue approaching a staff member and asking to speak to the manager. The MEN reports he would then complain a family member had been sold a vape or alcohol when they were underage.
Neary would then enter stockrooms and back offices looking for cash. Later in their spree, the burglars threatened to follow staff members home. On one occasion Neary told staff: "Go on ring, the police… see what's going to happen."
An incident caught on CCTV footage released by police shows Donoughe distracting a shop manager while Neary sneaks into the office of a McColl's store in Penketh, before trying to force a safe open and stealing a cash box. In another clip he kicks in a door to get into a shop office in Chester.
The pair were arrested on February 22, 2022 after officers pieced together CCTV footage and forensic evidence taken from two incidents in Wirral – one being fingerprints on a Lunchables box. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit commercial burglary.
They were jailed at Chester Crown Court this week following the incidents between July 3 and December 1, 2021. Donoghue, currently of HMP Altcourse, was sentenced to eight years and six months. Neary, of Preston Prison, was sentenced to six years and nine months.
Detective Constable Richard Connolley said: "Donoghue and Neary thought they were untouchable, attempting to target premises across Cheshire and Merseyside in a bid to be undetectable. However, as they continued, the more careless they became, and our officers were already onto them.
"This sentence is a great result and will see Donoghue and Neary behind bars for a substantial amount of time. We will continue to do all we can to crackdown on those who think they can come into Cheshire to commit crime."
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