Failed Cheltenham antiques shop burglars sentenced

Thieves caught trying to steal from an antiques shop by drilling through from the shop next door have been jailed.

Peter Fitzharris 42, David Newman, 42 and Mark Rabjohns 38, admitted two burglary offences each at Gloucester Crown Court on 21 February.

Sentencing Rabjohns Judge Ian Lawrie said he was an "idiot to get involved".

Fitzharris and Newman must serve two years and seven months each in jail while Rabjohns was told to serve 18 months suspended for two years.

The men broke into the Tweed Company Shop on the Promenade, Cheltenham on 9 January and then cut a hole in the wall to gain access to Promenade Antiques.

A store alarm disrupted the men who were shown on CCTV fleeing empty handed at 21:45 GMT.

Officers caught up with them shortly after.

Police at the scene found a large angle grinder and an axe used to carry out the burglary.

The silverware they left behind on the shop counter was valued at about £1,000 and damage caused to the clothing shop was valued at about £2,500.

Fitzharris, of Redgrave Road Cheltenham had 17 previous convictions including 40 burglary offences and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £190.

The court heard in mitigation that he had set up his own business but it had gone under due to the pandemic which is why he committed the crime.

Judge Lawrie said: "It is commendable he indulged in honest labour but when things went pear-shaped he went to default.

"He must be mixing with people who cause me concern."

Newman, of Somerset Avenue, Cheltenham, was ordered to pay the same surcharge and had 26 previous burglary convictions.

The court heard that Newman had undertaken a number of drug and alcohol rehabilitation courses to help him turn his life around.

However the judge said he was "not convinced about the success of these courses".

Rabjohns, who lived at a different address in Redgrave Road, Cheltenham must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge of £156.

During sentencing, the judge questioned why Rabjohns was spending time with the two men.

He said: "He was sucked into this by his own stupidity."

As his sentence was handed down he told Rabbjohns: "You are a complete idiot to get involved.

"You need to take care who you mix with but you are cut from a slightly different cloth."

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