Gang of burglars have targeted empty homes during a huge sinkhole in Notts and Derbyshire

A gang of burglars targeted empty homes mainly belonging to elderly holidaymakers during a spree of burglaries in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lancashire. Nottingham Crown Court heard how masked Darren Cox was punching holes in window frames and ransacking properties for tens of thousands of pounds worth of jewellery.

On 15 of the 21 occasions he was driven to and from the scene by accomplice Danielle Ryde, a grandmother from Belper. And on eight of these, a third member – Declan Prosser – was paid to look after the group.

Sentencing the gang, Judge James Sampson said: “It almost goes without saying that housebreaking is a serious crime. It is devastating for victims who feel violated and may never feel safe in their own homes again.

Do you feel safe in the city center?

“Darren Cox, you have many previous convictions for burglary so it would be a travesty of justice to suspend any sentence for these multiple burglaries. Declan Prosser you had a difficult upbringing and Danielle Ryde I have no doubt you would not have committed these crimes without Cox’s influence.

“It’s not clear to me exactly how many burglaries you were involved in, but there were several and they were professionally planned and executed. Twice the occupants were present.”

Phillip Plant, prosecuting, said the burglaries took place between May and October 2021. He said they took place in Ilkeston, Smalley, Heanor, Selston, Newthorpe, Underwood, Edwinstowe, Calverton, Southwell, Farnsfield and the last three have held in Poulton-Le-Fylde, near Blackpool, Lancashire. The prosecutor said: “Ryde accepted that from May to July her role was subordinate to Cox in that she was leading him on burglaries and at first she did not know what she was leading him to.

“Prosser admitted playing a part in eight of the burglaries over two nights and his role was as a security guard for which he was paid £200 a night. Each time, the modus operandi (method of operation) was largely the same.

“They were drilling holes to get into properties, all the burglaries were at night, the elderly were targeted and in some cases the houses were unoccupied while the owners were out or on holiday. One exception was a burglary in Selston where the victims disturbed the burglary.”

Mr Plant said a burglary in Southwell also saw Cox disturbed during the break-in. He pointed out the value of the jewelery that was taken in some of the burglaries which ran into the thousands and in some cases included precious stones of sentimental value to the owners.

The prosecutor said: “When Cox was arrested, there was a ski mask and a balaclava in the car and DNA linked him to a number of offences.”

All three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery. Cox, 48, formerly of Meden Crescent, Sutton-in-Ashfield and now of HMP Oakwood, in Staffordshire, was jailed for five years and four months,

He has 17 convictions for 34 offences, including many burglaries, dating back to 1994.

Tara Riley, his barrister, said: “I would ask the court to consider a suspended sentence, which could be quite an unusual course given his history. There were people further up the chain and he accepts he was paid £2,000. He has a high level of remorse and understands how his offense affects others.”

Prosser, 23, of Welbeck Street, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, has 12 previous convictions for 25 offenses and was jailed for four-and-a-half years. Siward James-Moore, mitigating, said: “At the time of this offence, he was in the grip of addiction to cocaine, alcohol and cannabis.

“His mother died of alcoholism when he was 11, and on the day of her funeral, his father ran away and hasn’t been in touch with him since. He is a vulnerable young man who is susceptible to the influence of his peers.”

Judge Sampson adjourned sentencing Ryde, 41, of Park Road, Belper, until January 3, 2025, to see if she can remain crime-free, as she has done since she was arrested in 2021. Lucy Jones , her lawyer, said: “She has children and is a grandmother and, given her reliance on drugs and alcohol at the time, does not clearly remember how many times she was involved.”