Ram raiders grabbed £1.2m in raids across the UK
A gang of thieves who stole Range Rovers to carry out ram raids in a £4.5m crime spree across the south of England are facing jail.
Dramatic CCTV footage shows the gang using the luxury motors to smash their way into jewellery shops, banks, convenience stores and petrol stations.
Gang leader Darren Eastaugh, 36, is a professional criminal behind a £400,000 raid on £5m mansion of former England football captain John Terry in Oxshott, Surrey, in February 2017.
Eastaugh, together with William Connors, 29, Anthony Rodwell, 33, and Sebastian Gnyp, 37, admitted involvement in a total of 55 offences including burglaries, thefts of cars and cashpoint machines.
Anthony Rodwell
They carried out the crime wave in Dorset, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, between 14 November 2021 and 19 August 2022.
The value of the thefts was more than £1.2m while the damage caused to vehicles and property is put at £1.8m.
The loss of earnings to the business owners forced to shut for repairs totals nearly £1.5m.
Prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood said: ‘Over the course of a period of ten months on the west side of London and the home counties down as far as Hampshire, the gang were going out stealing two types of vehicles.
‘They stole larger vehicles like Range Rovers and Land Rovers which were going to be used to ram premises.
‘They were also stealing more high performance vehicles to use as getaway cars.
‘Numbers plates were being stolen to conceal identities of getaway cars.
William Connors
‘The method was very loud, very aggressive, very loud attacks with vehicles being driven onto the forecourt before being reversed into the front of the building sometimes through metal security gates.
‘Once access was gained members of the gang go into shops and are seen with things like ankle grinders, sledgehammers and sometimes with chains to try and drag out ATMs and safes located within the premises.
‘It’s a very violent attack, it all happens very quickly depends not on stealth but on speed.
‘They were witnessed by members of the public who experienced a great deal of shock and upset caused to witnesses, staff owners, and the devastation caused was large and long-lasting.
‘Having broken in sometimes the ATMs would be loaded into the large Range Rovers and driven away as is.
‘Sometimes the Range Rovers would remain having been damaged too much.
‘Jewellery from jewellers, high value goods were then taken off in the getaway car after the attacks.
Darren Eastaugh
‘I use the word attacks because burglary seems a passive term when it comes to what these actions were like.
‘The shops were closed for significant periods depriving residents of local amenities.
‘The gang were finally caught in the last attack on 19 August 2022 when the gang attacked the Esso Tesco premises in Caversham.
’In the early hours of 19 August 2022 the defendants attacked an Esso Tesco store in Caversham.
‘Police had begun a surveillance operation back in March.
‘Mobile units were on duty around the Esso Tescos.
‘Shortly before midnight a white Mercedes was seem dropping off the four defendants.
‘They went to an Alfa Romeo parked up there. At 2.30am the Alfa Romeo and Range Rover were seen in convoy approaching the Esso Tescos in Caversham.
‘Police units waiting.
‘Two vehicles were driven onto the forecourt, people got out clearing trolleys from in front of the premises and then the Range Rover reversed into the front of the premises.
‘Three men went into the shop.
‘One had an ankle grinder and cut the cash box bolts on the floor of shop.
Sebastian Gynp
‘Mr Rodwell was the driver- that was his expertise- he remained in the seat of the Alfa Romeo while the other three went into the premises.
‘Police mobile units arrived and the Alfa Romeo with Mr Rodwell in the driver’s seat made an escape and had to be rammed and was knocked down an embankment.
‘Rodwell then violently resisted arrest and was eventually tasered and arrested.
‘Eastaugh ran off and disappeared into a primary school. He was not arrested until a few days later.
‘Connors also tried to make an escape and despite being tasered continued to fight back. He was eventually subdued and handcuffed.’
A sledgehammer, crowbar and drill were found in the Alfa Romeo.
In July 2017 Eastaugh was jailed for seven years and three months at Kingston Crown Court for the raid on John Terry’s home.
Rodwell was part of a team who blew up cash machines across Surrey and the Thames Valley in a ten month spree between July 2014 and April 2015.
He was jailed for 12 years in 2017 and began his latest crime campaign shortly after he was released early in 2021.
Connors, of Exmouth Road, Hayes, admitted 13 burglaries, two attempted burglaries, twenty vehicle thefts and an attempted theft of an ATM.
Rodwell, of Laurel Gardens, Ashford, admitted eight burglaries, three attempted burglaries, 11 number plate thefts and 19 thefts of vehicles.
Easthaugh, of Bedfront Close, Feltham admitted eight burglaries, nine number plate thefts and nine vehicle thefts.
Gnyp, of Allenby Road, Southall admitted two burglaries and one attempted burglary.
The raiders stole Richard E Grant’s Land Rover Discovery to use it on a raid Tesco’s Express, Feltham.
Connors and Rodwell smashed into the shop to grab three cash boxes containing £7,452.
The damage to the shop was extensive and it was closed for five weeks for repairs.
Connors’ barrister Jonas Milner said he was a ‘family man’ and father who acknowledged the seriousness of his offending.
He has previous convictions for burglary in 2014 and handling stolen goods in 2018.
Easthuagh, whose fiancé attended court, is also a father.
Rodwell, the getaway driver, has three children and his fiancé also attended.
His barrister Deborah Morris said: ‘He loves driving, he loves cars and would like to get a job doing deliveries when he is eventually released, perhaps gaining a HGV license or forklift license.’
She added that the cost of living crisis had affected the family and Rodwell began to feel like a failure when he couldn’t provide for his family.
She said he reverted to what he knew and went back to stealing cars.
He has previous convictions for burglary and received a 12 year sentence in 2017 for conspiracy to cause explosions.
Gynp’s barrister Matthew Ness referred to him as ‘the runt of the litter’ saying he had a far more limited role in the offending compared to the other defendants.
He has two children in Poland and was assisted in court by a Polish interpreter.
He has no previous convictions.
In response to submissions that the defendant’s family have said they are capable of honest work, Judge Simon Davis said: ‘This is a professional team of jewellery raiders and ram raiders.
‘I’m sure they can all work and could get work – but they chose this work.
‘If only they could have listened to their partners and mothers and done that work instead of smashing up people’s livelihoods, keeping them out of work and causing real shock and worry to people.’
The four ram-raiders were later jailed for a total of more than 20 years for their £4.5m crime spree across the south of England.
Gang leader Darren Eastaugh, 36, and William Connors, 29, were both jailed for just six and a half years each.
Getaway driver Anthony Rodwell, 33, was jailed for five years and 10 months while Sebastian Gnyp, 37, was jailed for three years.
Judge Simon Davis said: ‘This was a sophisticated criminal enterprise, there was a significant degree of planning and financial gains were undoubtedly substantial.
‘You usually dressed all in black with balaclavas on hoods, you were seen by ordinary members of the public in possession of items such as sledgehammers and ankle grinders.
‘You were determined. The acts were loud and very aggressive. Most of your attacks lasted only a few minutes.
‘Enormous destruction and disruption was caused and some businesses were closed for lengthy periods with staff laid off and people deprived of their services.’
The gang stole 23 cars and carried out 17 raids on businesses during the 10 month period.
They used ‘sophisticated remote digital interference’ to steal the cars without stealing the keys.
After an attack at a convenience store in Uxbridge in January 2022 police intercepted and tasered a suspect.
He was rescued by his accomplice after he drove a stolen 4×4 at the officers.
The gang were followed by vehicles and a helicopter in a high-speed pursuit through Epsom, Surrey on 8 February 2022.
Eastaugh was arrested but released under investigation.
Police began surveillance in March 2022 and it went on for six months until they arrested the gang in Reading.
The offences included an attack on Kenya Jewellers in Wembley where a total of £400,000 was lost through theft and damage.
The owners of the shop, which has been a family business for 40 years, are applying for compensation.
Connors was given a concurrent sentence of four and a half months for driving whilst uninsured.
