Cash Machine Thieves Busted After High-Speed Chase
George Jones, 31, has been slammed with a hefty four-year, nine-month prison sentence at Maidstone Crown Court. He admitted conspiracy to burgle and dangerous driving linked to a brazen cash machine heist last year.
Early Morning Raid Goes Wrong
The crime unfolded at 4am on 6 April 2022 outside a Co-Op store on Station Road, Longfield. Two vans rolled up. One smashed through the front window. Inside, the crooks wrapped a strap around the cash machine and hooked it to the other van’s chassis bar.
They tried twice to yank the machine free. The second attempt broke the van’s chassis bar, but the gang didn’t give up.
Wild Police Chase Ends in Abandoned Van
The three men then swapped into a third van at nearby Sandbanks Hill. Quick police work linked this vehicle to the scene. Officers spotted it hurtling along the M25.
A nail-biting chase erupted, with the van racing through red lights, roaring the wrong way down a dual carriageway, and hitting speeds over 100mph. The pursuit finally ended in a Banstead park where the crooks bolted, ditching the van.
Jones was caught hiding under a bush thanks to a police dog and joint efforts from Surrey and Metropolitan Police officers. Police also found a shirt linking Jones to the scene and the van.
Crackdown Continues on Cash Machine Crime
This sentence follows last year’s jail terms totaling over 16 years for two men involved in similar crimes around Kent between 2019 and 2021. Another man was locked up for five years in September 2022 for a Canterbury cash machine theft.
Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Greenstreet said: “With a fourth man now serving a lengthy prison term for this kind of offending, the message to criminals is clear: Come to Kent to steal cash machines and you will be caught and jailed.
“I’d like to praise officers from Kent, the Metropolitan Police, and Surrey who responded so swiftly, tracking down this man despite his dangerous attempts to get away. The hard work of investigators has led to guilty pleas.
“Measures to prevent future offences are now in place. I hope staff and businesses across the county feel safer knowing those behind these crimes are behind bars.”
