Three men who stole £73,000 by blowing up a cash machine with a gas canister have been jailed.
The ATM thieves struck gold at a Co-op store in Cunningham Way, Leavesden, after they made off with £73,810.
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There was a trail of destruction near the machine as the store window was smashed and a bollard was knocked over on June 13, 2019.
Oxford Crown Court was told that the incident was one of 18 ATMs that James ‘Jimmy’ Sheen’s gang tried to blow up in a series of highly-organised gas attacks across the Home Counties between June and August 2019.
The attempt in Leavesden was one of two that were successful.
On June 24, at the One Stop in Hemel Hempstead, residents in the flats above the shop described hearing a “huge bang”.
The owner said it looked like “a bomb blast had gone off’ and the back of the ATM had been blown off and the front door rammed open, with the thieves taking £27,970.
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In total, 37-year-old Sheen, lieutenant David Riley and "gun for hire" Frenny Green made off with £100,000.
The court heard the gang would amass at Sheen’s house in Warren Crescent, Headington in Oxfordshire, and later at the Manor Park caravan site near Kidlington before heading out on their raids.
Sheen, of Warren Crescent, Headington, admitted conspiracy to cause explosions, conspiracy to burgle, burgling the Newmarket Horseracing Museum, theft of a Landcruiser in Aynho, attempted theft of a Mitsubishi in Horndean, using a stolen BMW and conspiracy to steal plant machinery. He has previous convictions for dishonesty and in 2010 got 14 years for a drive-by shooting.
He was jailed for 17 years and four months.
Riley, of Linkfield Lane, Redbridge, faces sentencing for conspiracy to cause explosions, conspiracy to burgle, the Newmarket burglary, theft, and handling stolen plant machinery. He has nine previous convictions including for burglary.
He received 17 years and three months’ imprisonment.
Green, of no fixed address, has pleaded guilty on a basis to conspiracy to cause explosions. His 23 previous convictions include several for burglary.
He was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years’ imprisonment.
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