Men plead guilty to high profile burglary spree

Six men who raided more than 30 pubs, restaurants and retail stores across the UK have pleaded guilty to burglary offences.

Gary Platt, 42, Kieran Platt, 24, Joseph Salla, 19, Joshua Wilkinson, 22, Lee Hodkin, 33, and Peter Mighall, 45, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary when they appeared at Chester Crown Court today, Friday 6 December.

Wilkinson also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

They have all been remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced next year.

The men were all arrested on Thursday 7 November after officers from Cheshire Constabulary executed warrants simultaneously at seven addresses in Prenton, Noctorum, Heswall and Birkenhead, with support from Merseyside Police and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit.

The raids were the culmination of a lengthy and complex investigation into more than 30 burglaries at pubs and retail stores across the UK.

Safes were targeted during the burglaries.

They included incidents in Cheshire, Merseyside, Staffordshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, North Wales, Dyfed Powys and West Mercia.

Two domestic properties were also targeted by the burglars.

The investigation was co-ordinated by detectives from Ellesmere Port CID and Chester CID, with support from colleagues at Cheshire’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

Following today’s hearing, Detective Sergeant Graeme Carvell, who has led the investigation, said: “These men clearly thought they were above the law.

“They were all members of a sophisticated group who carried out more than 30 carefully planned burglaries at pubs and retail stores across the UK.

“Their crime spree spanned eight separate police forces across England and Wales.

“Thankfully, as a result of the work conducted by the dedicated team of detectives here at Cheshire Constabulary, their crime spree has now been brought to an end.

“The fact that they have all pleaded guilty to the offences is testament to the strength of the evidence gathered in this case.”