Thieves who filmed boasts about crimes jailed

Members of a "highly organised" rural crime gang who filmed videos of themselves laughing and boasting about their crimes have been jailed.

The five men, Zamuel Mallinson, Benjamin Barnes, Richard Rowles, Jordan Howard, and Ryan Mumby, from across across Lincolnshire, were linked to 13 burglaries and three thefts, with losses valued by officers at almost £800,000.

These included the theft of three quad bikes belonging to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Det Sgt Adam Petty, of Lincolnshire Police, said the group "caused significant harm" to communities across the region.

Those sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday were:

Zamuel Mallinson, 35, of Drigh Road, Brookenby, was sentenced to six years and two months imprisonment for conspiring to commit burglary and conspiring to steal from another.

Benjamin Barnes, 40, of Priory Crescent, Scunthorpe, was sentenced to four years and four months imprisonment for conspiring to commit burglary and conspiring to steal from another.

Richard Rowles, 35, of Edinburgh Road, Brookenby, was sentenced to three years and three months imprisonment for conspiring to commit burglary and conspiring to steal from another.

Jordan Howard, 29, of Dale View, Grimsby, was sentenced to two years and one month imprisonment for conspiring to commit burglary and conspiring to steal from another.

Ryan Mumby, 32, of Kingsley Grove, Nunsthorpe, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for conspiring to commit burglary and conspiring to steal from another.

Jolon Mallinson, 30, of Orford Close, Brookenby pleaded guilty to three offences. He will be sentenced at a later date for conspiring to commit burglary and conspiring to steal from another.

Lincolnshire Police initially treated each incident as separate, before a breakthrough came when one of the offenders, Zamuel Mallinson's, phone was seized and examined.

The gang often filmed themselves carrying out the burglaries and laughing, which is detailed in a Lincolnshire Police film into the case.

The force said the men frequently used older 4x4 vehicles fitted with cloned registration plates and typically travelled at night, wearing gloves, heavy clothing and face coverings, to conceal their identities and minimise the risk of detection.

Petty said: "Their offending was carefully planned and carried out with little regard for the impact on those they targeted.

"Farms, businesses, charities and individuals were left facing substantial financial losses and disruption as a result of their actions."

He said the thefts, especially from the RNLI charity, showed "a complete disregard for others".

For Simon Gadd, whose Boston farm has been targeted by thieves twice in the last year, the impact has been just as emotional as it has been financial.

He said break-ins can feel "very personal" for farmers, who often live on their farmyards, and described being targeted as "very violating".

Gadd said: "It's a really emotional affair trying to trying to pull it back together and get back on track. And you know that this isn't the end. It's probably going to happen again."

Gadd, who is also on the National Farmers' Union (NFU) council, encouraged farmers to report any thefts, even in non-emergency situations, and said the police would take this kind of crime "seriously".

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