Ram raid gang who stole £200,000 in three-month crime spree jailed for 60 years

A RAM raid gang who attacked a security guard and stole from a college has been jailed for 60 years.

Larry Barnett, 33, Jamie Lambie, 43, Lee Barnett, 32, and Michael Dunleavy, 37, took around £200,000 during their three-month crime spree in Birmingham and Solihull.

A bank, supermarkets and convenience stores were also targeted by thieves, who stole cars before smashing them into buildings and tied belts to cash machines before ripping them off walls.

The men committed 14 offenses over the three months, mostly targeting cash registers, but also stole around £40,000 worth of cigarettes. They stole a total of 13 vehicles in the operation that began in March 2019.

The gang attacked a security guard in an incident where a £20,000 cash box was stolen, took £2,000 from Solihull College after causing £20,000 of damage and hit a co-op, a Tesco Express and a Morrisons in broad daylight.

A Nationwide bank in Shirley, West Midlands was also targeted and a police car was head-on, leaving two officers with minor injuries.

They then tried to launder the money at bookies in the Shard End, Birmingham and Coventry.

Detective Sergeant Martin Kelly, of West Midlands Police, said: “The actions of this gang were shocking.

“Their behavior was blatant, often spending long periods of time trying to rob ATMs with no regard for the people around them.

“They had no regard for the law and were determined to do what they wanted without thinking of the consequences.

“They also used unnecessary levels of violence against various security guards and staff and also rammed a police car head-on in an effort to evade us.

“Their murderous spree also left a trail of destruction, with damage estimated at around £200,000.

Four members of the gang were jailed at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday.

Barnett, of Stechford, Birmingham, was jailed for 21 years, while Lambie, of Smith’s Wood, Birmingham, was jailed for 19 years.

Barnett, of Shard End, Birmingham, was jailed for 12 years and Dunleavy, of Balsall Common, Birmingham, was jailed for nine years.

Seven other men were also convicted of being part of the gang and will be sentenced next month for their involvement.

The gang’s heist ended when investigators identified the men after the straps they used were traced to a local supplier.

Similar belts had been sold two days before and CCTV led officers to Larry Barnett.

“Thanks to the outstanding work of the police, we were able to build a detailed picture of the gang, their vehicles and their movements,” added DS Kelly.

“We even seized CCTV from Larry Barnett’s home showing him and others trying to work out how to use a power tool that we know was used in one of their murders.

“We continue to work with the cash machine industry to help raise security awareness to reduce the risk of them being targeted by criminals in this way in the future.

“I hope their lengthy jail time will be of some comfort to the people affected by their savage three-month murder.

“These dangerous criminals are now off the streets and are being punished for their actions.”