Two men have been jailed for a series of ram-raids on cash machines, two of them in Ashford.

More than £130,000 was stolen and almost £143,000 in damage was caused in the 14 raids committed over eight months in 2013.

They include Tesco Park Farm in Kingsnorth and Tesco Express in Hythe Road, Ashford.

Paul O’Shea, 32, and Lance Taiani, 29, both from Bristol, admitted conspiracy to steal.

O’Shea, who has previous convictions for robbery and burglary, was sentenced to four years and Taiani to three years and four months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard crowbars and other tools were used to smash into ATMs in an attempt to remove the cash casettes between April and December 2013.

On one occasion water was thrown into the machine to disable the electronic workings. A mixed DNA profile taken from the tub used was linked to Taiani.

Martin Yale, prosecuting, said the raid on NatWest in Larkfield was carried out on the evening of April 6. No cash was taken but £2,302 of damage was caused.

Housemates Leanne Beston, Chelsea Page and Charles Tidy were shopping at the nearby Tesco when they saw two men tugging at the ATM.

Miss Page filmed them on her mobile phone. The men went to a BMW car and drove off. Police later identified Taiani from CCTV footage.

No cash was taken in the raid on Tesco in Park Farm, in the early hours of September 2, but this time £32,000 of damage was caused.

In the other raid at Tesco in Ashford in the early hours of December 12, £14,840 was stolen and £12,000 of damage was caused.

The other offences were committed in Yately, Hampshire; Northampton, Stamford, Lincolnshire; Corby, Northamptonshire; Hinkley, Leicestershire; Horndean, Hampshire; Leominster, Herefordshire; Leatherhead, Surrey; Warwick, Stratford and Telford, Shropshire.

Mr Yale said O’Shea and Taiani’s arrest was helped by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and evidence from sat navs recovered from them.

Taini’s plea was entered on the basis he became involved in the conspiracy in August 2013.

Passing sentence, Judge Philip Statman said: “I am satisfied this was professional criminality with rich pickings available to both of you.

“I am also satisfied there were others involved in this conspiracy who have yet to be brought to justice.

“I take the view that neither of you are right at the top of the chain. Had that been the case, the level of sophistication would have been far greater.”

The judge said it weighed heavily with the court that O’Shea and Taiani both had young children.

They will serve half the sentences. Both men had been on tagged curfews, which means almost eight months will count towards Taiani’s sentence and six months towards O’Shea’s.

Judge Statman commended two police officers for their “impeccable” investigation.
“It shows how technology can be used to break up crime of this kind and ensure the arrest of criminals,” he added.