Burglars jailed after ram raid on Retford Spar shop

  • CCTV footage from inside the shop shows the wall collapsing

Police have released footage of the moment ram raiders drove a stolen forklift truck through the wall of a family shop to steal a cash machine.

John Charles and Reuben Reynolds used the vehicle to smash their way into the Spar in Wesley Road, Retford, in the early hours of 14 March last year.

The raid caused £40,000 worth of damage before the pair fled in a white van with false plates.

Bodycam footage from Nottinghamshire Police shows officers arresting them at a house in Welbeck Road, Retford.

Further enquires found Charles, 50, and Reynolds, 42, had carried out a series of burglaries, including an incident where they stole a large amount of cash from a Retford pub 11 days before the ram raid.

  • 'What can I do you for?' The moment Charles and Reynolds are arrested

They initially denied the offences but pleaded guilty after text messages showed the pair planned the incidents.

Nottingham Crown Court heard they had been left “disappointed” when they found the cash machine taken from the Spar was empty.

At a sentencing hearing today (15 August), the court heard the store had been run by the same family for almost 30 years.

In a statement, the shop owner said: “Nothing prepares you for the emotional feeling of turning up to seeing a telehandler and a huge hole through the side of your store.

"These awful individuals put at risk 26 years of a family’s work. They also put at risk an amenity that the local community relies on.”

The store had been run by the same family for 26 years. Credit: Nottinghamshire Police

As well as the cost of the damage, the court heard the shop had lost £28,000 of business and was facing an extra £10,000 a year in insurance costs.

Charles, of Welbeck Road, Retford, pleaded guilty to attempted burglary, burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and burglary with intent to steal.

Reynolds, of College Close, Newark, pleaded guilty to the same charges.

Both men were jailed for four years.

Judge Nirmal Shant KC told the pair: “I have read the owner’s statement with care and it’s right to say he’s been utterly affected by what you did on that night and will remain affected for many years.

“To describe him as heartbroken is putting it mildly.”

John Charles, left, and Reuben Reynolds have been jailed. Credit: Nottinghamshire Police

PC Liam O’Kane, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “These are appalling crimes and the bearing they’ve had on hardworking and law-abiding victims should not be underestimated.

“The ram raid on the Spar store had a particularly terrible impact on a family who – through no fault of their own – have been forced to endure a huge amount of stress and financial hardship as a result of this shocking burglary."

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