Three cable thieves have been jailed for 12 and a half years for a catalogue of offences in and around Wigan. Clifford Orme, Darren Bushell and Jinine Johnson appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on, Friday, March 30, charged with conspiracy to steal cable.
The court heard the trio had been involved in a series of thefts in the Wigan area during 2010 and, throughout their criminality, has stolen almost three tonnes of cable – collecting more than £12,000 from local scrap metal recyclers in the process. The court was also told that the actions of Orme, Bushell and Johnson not only disrupted the railway, but also caused damage to local amenities – one theft in March 2011 on the railway adjacent to Westwood Cemetery saw a number of gravestones and the boundary wall severely damaged.
PC Darryl Grundy, who led the investigation for British Transport Police said: “Bushell and Orme in particular were brazen in their criminal efforts often choosing very public spots to not only carry out the thefts, but also to try to mask their criminality by burning the cable.”
On one occasion PC Grundy, while travelling to work, spotted a plume of black smoke coming from Lower Ince and then attended with a colleague. Upon arrival they spotted both Bushell and Orme who were arrested on suspicion of going equipped.
PC Grundy added: “We were first alerted to their criminal behaviour in late June 2010 and, from that point, initiated a large investigation. We were able to trace their activity across the area and located the primary scrap metal recycler they used to move on their stolen goods.
“We viewed CCTV of both Bushell and Orme taking cable into the dealer and were able to collect receipts showing when they attended, how much they brought into the yard and how much they were paid.
“These sentences should serve as a stark warning to others seeking to profit from stealing from the railway. BTP, Network Rail and the criminal justice system takes a dim view of this behaviour and simply will not tolerate any behaviour which threatens the infrastructure of the country.
“As has been shown in this case, BTP will use every available forensic and investigative technique to track offenders and build a full picture of their criminality before putting them before the courts.”
Notes
Clifford Orme, 50, of Stonyhurst Avenue, Ince, was sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment.
Darren Bushell, 44, of Settle Street, Bolton, was sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment.
Jinine Johnson, 41, of City Road, Kitt Green, was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment.
