TWO machete-wielding thugs have been jailed after a six-month crime spree.
Patrick Roach, aged 26, of Stout Street, Leigh, and Philip Turner, aged 28 of Chadwick Street, Leigh, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit burglary between September, 2007, and January this year.
Roach was jailed for six-and-a-half years at Chester Crown Court. Turner was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years.
The two men were often armed with machetes during the robberies.
They would steal cars from the homes they burgled and then use the stolen vehicle for a commercial robbery. The stolen car would then be abandoned.
Cash and cigarettes were stolen in most cases from the commercial premises.
They were caught after Roach’s works van was spotted at a building site one night. Bosses investigated and contacted police when they discovered gloves, balaclavas and metal bars.
Analysis of the van’s satellite tracking system showed that it was present near the locations of a number of burglaries and robberies.
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