Zammo Wright

Men would burgle homes in order to steal high value cars parked outside

A gang of men who broke into houses while their victims were asleep to pinch the keys to swanky cars parked on their driveways have been jailed for more than 10 years.

Led by Zammo Wright who was the instigator and planner, this organised criminal group were responsible for 19 break-ins across Kent and in Sussex between September and November 2010.

They focused on breaking into homes for the keys of such makes of cars as Mercedes, Jaguar and BMW.

Their arrest and prosecution is the result of a 16-month investigation by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.

Things started to unravel for the defendants when they widened their target area after only offending in Kent and south east London and went further afield to West Sussex.

Police responding to a report of people acting suspiciously in Aldingbourne Close, Ifield in Crawley in the early hours of November 11 2010, found Biring in the back of a Ford Fiesta van.

He was arrested and Nicholson was arrested later the same day in Kent after officers stopped the stolen BMW he was travelling in.

Following further inquiries by detectives Wright was arrested on November 24 2010. Investigations then revealed a fourth offender, Carter, who was subsequently arrested for handling the stolen property.

Appearing at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday, Wright, 36, of Little Queen Street, Dartford, was jailed for four-and-half years.

Co-defendant Grant Carter, 31, of Voce Road, Plumstead, was jailed for two-and-a-half years and Arun Biring, 19, of Hardinge Crescent, Woolwich and Darren Nicholson, 18, of Galleons View Road, Thamesmead were sentenced to 20 months each in a Young Offenders’ Institute.

Jailing them, Judge Michael Carroll QC said: “The public are outraged by people in a group coming to burgle whilst they are asleep in bed. Your offending showed a significant degree of planning and organisation.”

At a previous hearing on December 12 2011, Wright, Nicholson and Carter all admitted to conspiracy to burgle. Biring pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

The court heard that the group would target high-value cars made by BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar and Audi. In total 18 vehicles were stolen but just six of them were recovered.

The burglaries took place in Wren Path, Thamesmead on September 3; Guinness Drive Wainscott on September 8/9; The Briars, West Kingsdown; Ash Tree Drive, West Kingsdown and Vernon Close, West Kingsdown on September 10/11; Hughes Drive, Wainscott on September 11/12; The Briars, West Kingsdown on September 20; Barncroft Drive, Hempstead Valley, Gillingham on October 13/14; Goldsworth Drive and Cranmere Court, Strood on October 17; Monarch Close, Walderslade; Mossbank, Walderslade and Lennox Road, Gravesend on October 19/20; Lamorna Avenue, Gravesend and Dorset Avenue, Welling on October 25/26; Steele Avenue, Greenhithe on November 7/8; School Lane, Blean, Canterbury where there were two separate incidents on November 8/9 and Aldingbourne Close, Ifield, Crawley, West Sussex on November 10/11.

Detective Inspector Kevin Downard from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: “Burglaries are particularly upsetting crimes which often have a significant impact on the victims. These defendants were breaking into peoples’ homes at night with the single aim of stealing high value cars parked outside for criminal gain.

“This sentencing reflects how seriously we take such criminal behaviour and how committed the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate is in tackling organised criminality which harms our communities.”