Two men stole over £100,000 worth of items from new build homes across the North East and North Yorkshire, leading to their imprisonment.
Newcastle: A duo targeted new build homes in the North East and North Yorkshire. They stole items worth over £100,000.
Michael Bell and Mark Blaney broke into homes in County Durham, Sunderland, Newcastle, and more. They took boilers and white goods from properties, some already sold.
They caused damage at sites built by companies like Bellway and Taylor Wimpey. The court heard they admitted to 14 counts of burglary and received two-year jail sentences.
The crimes occurred between September 2023 and January 2024. Many homes were completed, and some had been sold.
Prosecutor Emma Dowling explained that both men targeted high-value items. They burglarized 85 new build homes over four months.
Police tracked them down after spotting a van linked to a burglary in Walbottle, Newcastle. This led to a vehicle hire firm and revealed their pattern of crime.
They stole 26 external doors worth £15,000 from a cabin in Silksworth, Sunderland. At a Bellway site, they took hobs, cookers, and boilers valued at over £11,000.
In Darlington, they stole white goods worth £6,000. They also took a £1,100 boiler from Pontefract and caused significant damage in Knaresborough.
Bell, 34, and Blaney, 31, both pleaded guilty. Bell had previous theft convictions, while Blaney had none. Bell also admitted to converting £7,300 of stolen money.
Recorder Nicholas Lumley KC described their actions as systematic and greedy. He noted the impact on home buyers and builders.
Defense lawyers mentioned Bell’s struggles with addiction and Blaney’s challenges after being medically discharged from the armed forces. Both expressed remorse for their actions.
