A gang of burglars plotted to steal £14,000 from a Sainsbury's supermarket shortly after it opened for the first time.
Radas Balkevicius, 32, had been working as a carpenter in the construction of the supermarket on Manchester Road, Warrington, and had been given a key and fob to access the business premises. He passed these on to co-conspirators Jesse Orme, 32, Joseph Orme, 36, Richard Mattock, 46, Liam Jackson, 32, and Christopher Ward, 33, who used them to access the shop, disable the alarms and raid the tills.
All six men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary. Balkevicius, of Eskbank in Skelmersdale, Jesse Orme, of Woodbridge Close in Romford, and Mattock, of no fixed abode, appeared for sentence at at Liverpool Crown Court on December 18.
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The crime began on June 23, 2022, when the men travelled from Essex to Warrington in a white Vauxhall Astra and a white Mercedes Sprinter van. After arriving, the registrations plates were changed in an attempt to evade the police.
CCTV footage from the early hours of June 24 showed the suspects approaching the Sainsbury’s store on foot and disabling the alarm panel using the key and fob obtained from Balkevicius. Once inside, they forced entry to the self-service tills and stole the cash. They then left the shop through the rear door, carrying two plastic bags which contained cash and cigarettes.
Moments after exiting the store, the Vauxhall Astra was spotted leaving the area and turning right onto Manchester Road. The Mercedes Sprinter was then spotted driving towards the store, and other members of the gang entered wearing paper suits and face masks. They stole cigarettes and alcohol before also making their escape through the back door.
The shop manager, who had attended the store, called the police. The Astra and Sprinter activated Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, and the van was stopped within a mile of the shop after being blocked by several police cars.
Mattock, Ward, and Joseph Orme were subsequently arrested. Cigarettes and alcohol were recovered from within their vehicle, which was later confirmed had been stolen from Essex.
The Astra changed number plates again and continued travelling south on the M6, where it was spotted entering Sandbach Services. A CCTV image of the man, who exited the vehicle, was confirmed to be Jackson – who later attended a voluntary interview after being marked as "wanted".
An investigation of Ward’s phone following his arrest led police to identify Balkevicius, who was arrested by Lancashire Constabulary on July 18, 2022. Meanwhile, forensic swabs of the self-service tills recovered by the crime scene examiner matched the DNA profile of Jesse Orme, and he was arrested by Metropolitan Police on December 20.
DC Neil Mooney said: “The defendants in this case targeted a business premises in the hope of making some easy money – but instead they have all got criminal records and some have also been given immediate custodial sentences.
“They used a variety of tactics to try and evade police, including using false registration plates. But thanks to the hard work of our officers, there really was nowhere to hide, and they have now been held accountable for their actions.
“This case should send a warning to those intent on travelling into Cheshire to commit crime – we will find you and you will be held responsible.”
Balkevicius was jailed for 36 months, Jesse Orme was jailed for 33 months, and Mattock was jailed for 31 months. Joseph Orme, of Woodbridge Close, Romford, received a 22 month sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 30 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work
Liam Jackson, of Stonehouse, Cornwall, received a 20-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work
Christopher Ward, of Eskdale, Skelmersdale, received a 16-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work
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