TWO men have been jailed after going on a night time crime spree in and around Carlisle.
James Broughton, 27, and 21-year-old accomplice Carl Millar first stole a Citroen Picasso containing work tools and personal possessions – later recovered – from outside an address in the city on the night of October 3.
This vehicle was then used to ram the barrier of a commercial premises in remote Cotehill. Carlisle Crown Court heard an office on the site was then “completely ransacked” as Broughton and Millar gained entry and snatched thousands of pounds worth of items – causing £4,000 damage in the process.
On their way to and from the break-in, the men also both pinched bottles of wine from a service station. But they were nabbed after police received a report of suspicious activity as the pair unloaded loot from the vehicle.
Both Broughton, of Dunmallet Rigg, and Millar, of Meadow View, were arrested. They later admitted a number of offences, including burglary, theft and aggravated vehicle taking.
The planning for what their lawyers called “unsophisticated” criminal activity, Recorder Richard Archer heard, had been “influenced by drink and drugs”.
Millar – who had been working as a chef at the prestigious Trump Turnberry resort in Scotland – and Broughton were each jailed for 22 months by Recorder Archer.