Watch: Armed gang from Birmingham use stolen vehicles to target cash points in raids across the UK

Four Birmingham gang members have been caught on camera breaking into cash points and attacking police.

The thieves used stolen vehicles and fire service equipment to break into  the atms in 14 raids on shop fronts, takeaways and supermarkets.

But a major investigation by West Midlands Police unmasked the raiders and brought their crime spree to an end.

Justin Buckley from Hall Green, Chris Hands from Kings Heath, Reece Pedley from Yardley Wood and John O’Shaughnessy from Kings Heath, were jailed for more than 30 years in total on Monday (April 8).

In our video at the top of this story you can see the crooks smashing into a cashpoint at a Tesco Express on Hewlett Road in Cheltenham with a crowbar and saw on September 7. 

Three of the gang forced their way into a cash machine, while a fourth acted as a lookout - they were also filmed attacking police. As officers arrived, the gang threw rocks and bricks at officers, forcing one to crouch behind his car. Another threw a brick at the front passenger window where an officer was sitting. The gang rammed the police car out of the way before making off.

They caused damage estimated to cost over £1 million to a Tesco Express and a neighbouring baker’s when sparks from an angle grinder they used caused a fire in Kenilworth. 

On 31 August last year, Reece Pedley was among a group of men who arrived at Snappy Tomato Pizza in Coventry and used specialist cutting equipment to steal thousands of pounds from the cash machine.

The gang struck over the space of a year between 2022 and 2023, in places as far afield as Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and West Mercia.

The four men admitted conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to handle stolen vehicles and goods, but each of the men admitted their roles in only some of the raids.

Between them, they admitted taking part in 17 different offences. The gang admitted handling stolen fire service cutting equipment. Police traced some of it back to a break-in in Warwickshire where £50,000 worth of specialist tools were stolen from a station in 2022.

DC Edward Costello, from WMP Major Crime Proactive Team, said: “This was a professional and organised criminal gang who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from businesses, and weren’t afraid to use force to get what they wanted.

“They threatened and used significant force against civilians and police who tried to intervene, and they were persistent. On one day, they broke into a Tesco Express near Oxford, but found the cash machine empty. Two hours later, they struck at a Tesco Express in Warwickshire.

“They knew where these machines were and how to access them.“Everyone knew their role, whether it was acting as a lookout or cutting into the machines.

"The theft of the equipment obviously compromised the ability of the fire service to protect communities. Thankfully, we’ve now bought them to justice and they will be spending many years behind bars.”

Major Crime Proactive Team worked with officers at West Mercia, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Thames Valley and Wiltshire Police. Using a combination of mobile phone data, CCTV, vehicle tracking data and witness accounts, the gang was identified and arrested in November and December last year.

• Justin Buckley, aged 40, of Brindle Court, Hall Green, Birmingham was jailed for eight years and four months.
• Chris Hands, aged 37, of Addison Road, Kings Heath, was jailed for nine years and six months. In addition to the conspiracy charges, he admitted a charge of burglary.
• Reece Pedley, aged 34, Pendeen Road, Yardley Wood, was jailed for seven years and seven months.
• John O’Shaughnessy, aged 36, of Playdon Grove, Kings Heath, was jailed for eight years.

A spokespesron for West Midlands Police added: “We’re targeting serious crime across the West Midlands under Operation Target, which sees as taking on those involved in guns, drugs, organised crime and exploitation.” Find out more 👉 Operation Target | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk)