Last call for BT phone box raiders (From Gazette & Herald)

Last call for BT phone box raiders

THREE travelling criminals drove to Ryedale to steal hundreds of pounds by breaking into public payphones, a court heard.

Leeds Crown Court was told how Helmsley community beat officer PC Ray Thwaites and Kirkbymoorside community beat officer PC Steve Leach caught three thieves stealing from a BT kiosk.

Such thefts are a national problem, with 14,000 offences committed last year, costing BT £5.3million.

David Hall, prosecuting, said in January last year PC Thwaites and PC Leach became suspicious of a car parked on double yellow lines in Helmsley.

The driver was Keith James Palmer, 39. Mr Hall said Palmer asked directions to the A1, but the officers noticed he did not follow them.

Mr Hall said that PC Thwaites then spotted Frank McCabe, 44, and David Bagnall, 23, in a telephone box. Bagnall was seen holding a drill.

The officers found the telephone cash box had been damaged and that Bagnall was in possession of a cordless drill, a number of drill bits, and a tub of grease. McCabe had wire clippers, drill bits and pliers - all tools used for breaking into phone boxes.

Mr Hall said that when the officers arrested the pair McCabe's mobile phone began to ring. It turned out to be their accomplice, Palmer, whom PC Leach tricked into meeting at a petrol station in Thirsk.

While on bail for the offence, McCabe was charged with a second count of attempting to steal from a BT payphone in Oswestry, Shropshire, on April 2.

Bagnall entered an early guilty plea, while both McCabe and Palmer pleaded guilty yesterday - the day they had been due to go on trial.

Gill Batts, for Bagnall, said the forklift truck driver had experienced some difficult times.

Nick de la Poer, for McCabe, said he had a partner who was two months pregnant and that he had a benign brain tumour.

John Lodge, for Palmer, asked that the judge follow the recommendations of a probation report.

Sentencing McCabe, of Enterprise House, Aldershot, to nine months in prison, Judge Scott Wolstenholme said: "Although you didn't get any money on either occasion, damage was done to the kiosk and I'm told this is a serious problem for BT."

Bagnall, of Green School Lane, Farnborough, Hampshire, received 80 hours community punishment and a community rehabilitation order for 12 months, and was ordered to attend a general offending behaviour programme.

Palmer, of Arthur Street, Aldershot, was given 100 hours community punishment.

Updated: 11:30 Friday, January 07, 2005