A LONGBRIDGE man has been jailed for more than four and a half years for his involvement in a series of high-end vehicle thefts.
Reece Woodthorpe, 24, of The Roundabout, Longbridge landed himself behind bars after orchestrating and enabling numerous car thefts, totaling over £500,000 in value.
The thief who mainly targeted Range Rovers was discovered when an image of him was found on a phone seized by police which identified a distinctive tattoo on his hand captured while he was driving one of the stolen vehicles.
During a search of his home at the time in Wolverhampton, officers also recovered a key fob and electronic equipment used to access vehicles by keyless entry.
An expert analyst found at least eight Range Rovers were stolen using the device, while a phone seized by investigators also linked Woodthorpe to the criminal enterprise.
After initially denying the charges, he later changed his plea and admitted conspiring with others, between November 13, 2021, and May 19, 2022, to steal the vehicles.
Woodthorpe was sentenced to four years and seven months in jail, at Birmingham Crown Court last Thursday (May 16).
DC Amy Miller from the Major Crime Unit, said: “This was a sophisticated operation with Woodthorpe playing a key part in its organisation.
“He was vital in providing the equipment to others in order for them to steal high value vehicles from their rightful owners.
“But we were able to compile an in-depth and detailed case against him which has resulted in him now being behind bars and off our streets.”
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