A Caerphilly man has been jailed for two years for his part in stealing £27,700 of stock from a Boots store.
In what was described in court as an “organised commercial burglary”, Ashley Seaward, 28, was a member of a gang that raided Boots in Castle Court, Caerphilly town, on December 2 last year.
Seaward, of Dol Fran, Mornington Meadows, was caught at the back of the store on CCTV with other gang members. Because of the quality of the images, the other members have not been identified.
The burglar, an expectant father with 34 previous convictions, was caught when blood found at the scene was matched to his DNA.
Cardiff Crown Court, at a hearing on January 17, was told how the store’s security alarm was not set because of a fault with its shutters. It also had extra stock ahead of Christmas.
CCTV showed the gang using an angle grinder to break into the rear of the store at around 6.17pm. Later that evening, gang members were caught on camera bundling large bags into a vehicle.
Tills containing around £150 were stolen together with £580 worth of electrical goods. The total cost of the stock taken, which was mostly perfume, was £27,700.
At around 1.20am two men were seen on the CCTV walking a dog near the shop. They too were seen entering the shop while at 2.32am the CCTV showed a van arriving. Three people got out and went into the Boots.
It wasn’t until 6.45am that the store manager was told by police that the shop had been burgled.
Sentencing Seaward, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said there had been a significant degree of planning.
He said: “The police were met with a very substantial degree of damage caused by you and others and blood fortunately was found at the scene. You have an appalling list of previous convictions.”