Trio who stole £500,000 worth of cars caught at McDonald's drive-thru in Birmingham
Video from BPM Media
Video footage shows the moment a group of thieves were arrested at a McDonald's drive-thru after stealing half a million pounds worth of cars.
West Midlands Police stopped three men in a car after they "got the midnight munchies" and were ordering food at the fast-food chain on Bristol Road in Birmingham.
Rory Fitzgerald, who was driving a distinctive black Peugeot with a space saver wheel on the back, and passengers Harry Beresford and Zachary Shellis were followed by police before being arrested on November 17, 2020.
The trio had their mobile phones confiscated and after examination police discovered photos and videos of the trio posing with stolen cars and driving away in them.
Balaclavas and gloves were also found in the car.
Police connected the group to car thefts worth a whopping £500,000.
Mobile phone footage showed 24-year-old Fitzgerald laughing as he looked through a handbag in Walsall in an attempt to locate BMW keys.
In another clip filmed during the same break-in, one of the men could be heard singing: "I don't just take cars me, I take the big telly" as he picked up a 55-inch TV.In one incident the group allegedly stole eight cars in one night as a voice heard in a video said: "what's that, eight cars in one night, OK then."All three were charged with conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and conspiracy to burgle homes between June 28 and November 16, 2020.
Fitzgerald from Walsall Road, Beresford from Dulwich Road, and Shellis from Anerley Road – all in Birmingham – admitted to the charges at Birmingham Crown Court on September 30 and were jailed for 96, 76 and 66 months respectively.
Detective Constable Kevin Cockayne from West Midlands Police Force said: "After being arrested in the drive-thru we initially charged them with three offences – but the full scale of their offending became clear when we analysed their phones.""They broke into homes for keys to high-performance cars like VW Golfs, Mercedes-Benz and BMWs.
"No victims were confronted but they caused damage to homes, worry for victims and lots of inconveniences."Police managed to recover 12 of the stolen cars.