Sticky Bandit burglar ordered to pay back just £1

A member of a prolific gang of burglars behind a multimillion-pound crime spree has been ordered to pay back just £1, a court has ruled.

Adam Shakespeare, 31, and four others stole tonnes of metal and vehicles from across the West Midlands, leaving a lewd image with the message "Merry Christmas" on the floor at one firm.

The men, who called themselves The Sticky Bandits - a reference to the Home Alone 2 film - were jailed in November at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

At the same court on Tuesday, Shakespeare, from Wolverhampton, was said to have benefited from the crimes to the extent of more than £1.15m, but was said to have no funds to pay anything back and was ordered to pay a nominal £1.

David Williams, 44, and of Willenhall Road in the city, was said to have benefited from more than £1m and had an available amount of £332, which he was ordered to pay within 56 days.

A third defendant, David Smith, 36 and of Cannock Road in Wolverhampton, was also said to have benefited from more than £1m and had a total of £1,057 available to pay it off, but £1,047 had been confiscated by the police.

The two other gang members - Royston Hallard, 30 and of Coronation Road, and Lee Fletcher, 33 and of Bunkers Hill Lane, both in Wolverhampton - had their cases adjourned until next month.

West Midlands Police said the gang chose quieter sites and struck at Christmas, like their namesakes in the Home Alone film.

They stole and used vehicles to take the material to an industrial unit in Wolverhampton before likely selling on to scrap dealers.

The total loss of materials and vehicles was £1.6m, with the damage caused estimated at £200,000, and loss of sales, the cost of improving security and increased insurance premiums amounting to more than £800,000, the force said.

Videos recovered from some of the many phones used by the gang showed how they "relished what they were doing and would laugh and joke with each other", detectives said.

The gang members were jailed for between six and three years after admitting conspiracy to burgle commercial premises.

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