THREE men have been jailed for a total of 23 years after stealing caravans and a transit worth £250,000.
Seamus McDonagh, 57, David Christopher McDonagh, 36, and Seamus McGuire, 25, all of Coventry, were found guilty of a number of crimes including conspiracy to steal caravans and motor homes.
And at Warwick Crown Court, they were sentenced to six years, nine years and eight years in prison respectively.
It follows a four year case which began in September 2012 when Andrew Lee – also from Coventry – was arrested on the M6 after being found towing a caravan stolen from Fenny Compton.
A subsequent investigation revealed Lee had been working as the driver for an organised crime group involved in stealing caravans and transit vans from Warwickshire and the West Midlands.
In November 2012, a police pursuit took place after a transit van was stolen from Rugby and officers executed numerous search warrants, which led to more than 20 mobile phones being recovered.
The three men were then arrested and following a two-and-a-half week trial, found guilty.
Det Con Richard Zarcone from Rugby CID said: “I am pleased with the result, which demonstrates we take reports of vehicle theft very seriously and will deal with offenders robustly.”
