Birmingham Car Key Burglary Gang Jailed After Confronting Homeowner
A burglary gang from Birmingham has been sentenced to a total of nearly twenty-four years in prison following a series of car key burglaries that included a terrifying confrontation with a homeowner on a driveway. The gang's activities were captured on camera, showing them searching for keys inside a home and later facing the property owner as they stole a Mercedes SUV.
Terrifying Driveway Confrontation Caught on Camera
The incident began when three men were recorded on a kitchen camera rummaging through cupboards to locate car keys. After spotting the camera, they grabbed a set of keys and exited the property. On a separate day, external footage shows the same trio being confronted by the homeowner outside another residence.
The homeowner told them to "go away," but the gang members instead ran towards him. One of the thieves jumped into a Mercedes parked on the driveway and reversed it out, while a second vehicle was left behind as they fled the scene. Fortunately, the homeowner was not injured during the altercation.
Complex Police Investigation Leads to Arrests
The gang, identified as Kian Davies, 25, Connor O'Keefe-Clancey, 21, and Ethan Beresford, 25, of Ely Close in Birmingham, were responsible for ten car key burglaries in February and March of last year. Their crimes spanned multiple counties, including Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Northamptonshire.
Detective Sergeant Kirsty Hill, who supervised the investigation conducted by Detective Constables Jodi Lothian and Max Beswick from the north Worcestershire CID team, described it as a "complex investigation." Mobile phone examinations and phone mast data were crucial in linking the gang to the burglaries, revealing a conspiracy to steal high-value vehicles such as BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis.
Sentencing and Police Statement
At a hearing on Friday, February 27, all three men were found guilty of conspiring to commit burglary and conspiring to steal a motor vehicle. Their sentences are as follows:
- Kian Davies received seven years and five months in prison.
- Connor O'Keefe-Clancey was handed seven years and seven months.
- Ethan Beresford was sentenced to six and a half years, plus additional consecutive and concurrent terms for burglary and attempted burglary, totaling eight years and nine months.
Detective Sergeant Hill emphasized the impact of their crimes, stating, "We understand it often seems like car thieves get away with it, but hopefully this result shows we will always work hard to bring such criminals to justice and try to halt the impact their actions have on our communities."
The gang's method involved gaining access to homes by snapping and blow torching locks, then stealing and moving on vehicles while using a Volkswagen Golf R with false or cloned number plates. Footage of police arresting one gang member from a bedroom, shouting "police warrant, stay where you are," was also released, highlighting the successful operation to apprehend the criminals.
