Trio jailed for more than 10 years for stealing mountain bikes worth £12,000 in Ryedale raid

David Anthony Cave, 47, of Lytton Street, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment at York Crown Court for the burglary on 24 October 2020.

Colin Andrew Redshaw, 29, of Brough Court, and Paul James Donnelly, 35, of Bolton Court, were jailed for three years and two years and eight months respectively for the same burglary, as well as for aggravated vehicle taking without the owner’s consent.

On the day of the incident, the three men travelled together from Middlesbrough to Helmsley in a black Ford Fiesta ST car which had been stolen earlier that month from the Middlesbrough area.

It was displaying false number plates in a bid to evade detection by the police.

When they got to Helmsley, the men entered the garage of the house on Orchard Way at some time between 11am and 11.30am.

They made off with three mountain bikes valued at £12,000.

North Yorkshire Police officers were alerted to the incident and a tactical operation was put in place to intercept the car and arrest the occupants.

The black Fiesta was sighted by officers on the A170 at Helmsley heading towards Sutton Bank.

It was being driven erratically and sped-off from officers after it was first stopped.

A stinger device was deployed to burst its tyres and it came to a stop at the top of Sutton Bank, having left the road and coming to rest on the bank side.

Just 30 minutes after the burglary took place, the three suspects were swiftly arrested, the stolen car was secured, and the three mountain bikes were recovered from inside the vehicle.

All three men were charged and remanded into custody to appear at court where they would all eventually plead guilty.

Det Con David Adams, who led the North Yorkshire Police investigation, said: “The three men involved in this incident have rightly been given considerable custodial sentences.

“They now have time to reflect on their despicable actions and are facing the consequences for this brazen act of burglary of high-value property in broad daylight.

“It was motivated by greed to line their own pockets at the victim’s expense.”

DC Adams added: “The evidence in this case was overwhelming, and the three men had very little choice but to accept responsibility for what they had done and plead guilty.

“The North Yorkshire Police officers who were involved worked quickly and effectively to make sure the stolen vehicle and its occupants were safely stopped, and that the stolen mountain bikes were recovered and later returned to their rightful owner.

“I thank the victim in this case for their support and co-operation with the police investigation.

"I hope this result brings them some closure on an ordeal which no-one should have to experience.

“Burglary is an awful crime and very often has a significant impact and long-lasting effect upon the victims.

“This case also sends out a very clear warning to cross-border criminals who intend to travel into North Yorkshire – you will be caught and held to account for your actions.”