Second man convicted following Northwich burglary

A second man from Oldham has been convicted of breaking into a restaurant in Northwich.

Jason Buckley appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Friday 14 July where he was ordered to complete a community order and pay £500 compensation.

The 39-year-old, of Ashton Road, Oldham, had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of burglary other than a dwelling.

Buckley is the second man to be convicted in relation to the burglary at Jathra restaurant in Lostock Gralam.

Martin Craddock, 49, of Godson Street, Oldham, was jailed for 40 weeks on 26 January 2023 after he pleaded guilty to the same charge.

The court heard how Buckley and his accomplice Craddock travelled down to Northwich in the early hours of Monday 10 October 2022.

Once in the town, they broke into the Manchester Road restaurant and stole more than £2,500 worth of alcohol.

Cradock was identified as a suspect following a DNA hit from blood found at the scene, along with telecoms date which placed him at the scene of the crime.

Following his conviction earlier this year, officer recovered further telecoms data linking Buckley to the incident. They also found that Craddock had transferred nearly £500 to him shortly after the burglary.

Buckley was circulated as wanted and subsequently arrested on Wednesday 15 March.

Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Claire Heatley, of Northwich Proactive Policing Team, said:

“I welcome the conclusion of this case and I hope that the conviction of these two men provides reassurance to local businesses and residents.

“Craddock and Buckley came to Cheshire that night thinking that it was an easy target, but as this result demonstrates this is not the case.

“We are committed to doing all we can to make Cheshire a hostile environment for criminals and will do everything we can to identify those responsible for crime in our county and ensure they are held accountable for their actions.”