Four men convicted of attempted lockdown raid on Sunderland shop

Four men who attempted to raid a Sunderland shop during the coronavirus lockdown have been convicted.
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Officers were called to Waterloo Place after a group of men were spotted on CCTV attempting to break into a technology shop.

The offenders made off empty-handed but Northumbria Police officers found a pair of bolt cutters at the scene and damage caused to metal bars covering one of the windows.

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Jonathan Hughes, 35, Graham Liddle, 50, Grant McCormack, 35, and Kevin Marrs, 33, were arrested and later charged with attempted burglary following the incident on Tuesday, April 28 at 11.30pm.

A group of men attempted to break into a shop on Waterloo Place in Sunderland. Image by Google Maps.A group of men attempted to break into a shop on Waterloo Place in Sunderland. Image by Google Maps.
A group of men attempted to break into a shop on Waterloo Place in Sunderland. Image by Google Maps.

All four denied the charges but were found guilty by magistrates in Sunderland on Tuesday, June 23.

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Hughes, of Halstead Square, Sunderland, Liddle, of Downham Court, South Shields, McCormack, of Ash Hill Court, Sunderland, and Marrs, of Oxford Street, Sunderland, are all due to be sentenced at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 1.

Detective Constable Neil Swainston said: “The last few months have been an uncertain time for many business owners, some of whom will no doubt have been concerned about the security of their premises while in isolation.

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“Nothing was stolen in this particular case, but officers got to the scene quickly and located vital evidence before searching the area and locating the four suspects.

“This case highlights how we are committed to acting quickly and decisively whenever suspicious behaviour is reported to us, and the defendants must now deal with the consequences of their actions.

“We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and we will continue to put thieves before the courts.”

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