Moment gang which stole fleet of Land Rovers including Richard E Grant’s smash into jewellery shops, banks and petrol stations during £1.8M crime spree – as ram-raiders face jail

• Raids were carried out in London, Bucks, Surrey, Hants, Berkshire and Dorset 

This is the moment a gang of thieves use a fleet of stolen Land Rovers including a car belonging to Richard E Grant to smash into jewellery shops, banks and petrol stations in a huge crime spree.

Gang leader Darren Eastaugh, 36, is a professional criminal behind the £400,000 raid on the £5m mansion of former England football captain John Terry in Oxshott, Surrey, in February 2017.

Eastaugh, together with William Connors, 29, Anthony Rodwell, 33, and Sebastian Gnyp, 37, admitted involvement in a total of 55 offences including burglaries, thefts of cars and cashpoint machines.

They carried out the crime wave in west London, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Dorset, between 14 November 2021 and 19 August 2022.

The value of the thefts was more than £1.2m while the damage caused to vehicles and property is put at £1.8m.

Two members of the gang are seen amidst the carnage of a raid on a Tesco store in Reading

The gang also raided a jewellers in Aldershot, as prosecutors described their scheme as ‘very loud’ and ‘very aggressive’

The gang smash a stolen Range Rover into a Co-op store in Poole, Dorset

The loss of earnings to the business owners forced to shut for repairs totals nearly £1.5m.

Prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood told the court how the gang stole Land Rovers and Range Rovers – as well as more high performance vehicles to use as getaway cars – across a period of 10 months.

Number plates were also being stolen to conceal the identities of the getaway cars. 

‘The method was very loud, very aggressive, very loud attacks with vehicles being driven onto the forecourt before being reversed into the front of the building sometimes through metal security gates,’ he said.

‘Once access was gained members of the gang go into shops and are seen with things like ankle grinders, sledgehammers and sometimes with chains to try and drag out ATMs and safes located within the premises.

‘It’s a very violent attack, it all happens very quickly depends not on stealth but on speed.

‘They were witnessed by members of the public who experienced a great deal of shock and upset caused to witnesses, staff owners, and the devastation caused was large and long-lasting.

‘Having broken in sometimes the ATMs would be loaded into the large Range Rovers and driven away as is. Sometimes the Range Rovers would remain having been damaged too much.’

Jewellery and high value goods were then taken off in the getaway car, while the damage forced shops to close for significant periods – depriving neighbours of local amenities.

One of the gang’s victims was Withnail And I star Richard E Grant, whose Land Rover Discovery was used for a ram-raid at Tesco Express in Feltham.

The star was locked up in hotel quarantine in the early hours of 6 December 2021 after visiting his mother, Leonne, 90, in southern Africa, when his motor was taken.

Connors and Rodwell smashed into the shop to grab three cash boxes containing £7,452.

The damage to the shop was extensive and it was closed for five weeks for repairs.

One of the gang’s victims was Withnail And I star Richard E Grant (pictured), whose Land Rover Discovery was used for a ram-raid at Tesco Express in Feltham

Darren Eastaugh (left) and William Connors (right) admitted involvement in a total of 55 offences

Anthony Rodwell (left) and Sebastian Gynp (right) also admitted a string of offences

The gang were finally caught in their last attack on August 19 last year when they targeted an Esso Tesco premises in Caversham. 

Police had begun a surveillance option nearly six months earlier and parked units around the petrol station.

Shortly before midnight, a white Mercedes was seen dropping off the four defendants, who went to an Alfa Romeo that was parked up on the site. 

Mr Probert-Wood told the court: ‘Two vehicles were driven onto the forecourt, people got out clearing trolleys from in front of the premises and then the Range Rover reversed into the front of the premises.

‘Three men went into the shop. One had an ankle grinder and cut the cash box bolts on the floor of shop.

‘Mr Rodwell was the driver – that was his expertise. He remained in the seat of the Alfa Romeo while the other three went into the premises.

‘Police mobile units arrived and the Alfa Romeo with Mr Rodwell in the driver’s seat made an escape and had to be rammed and was knocked down an embankment.

‘Rodwell then violently resisted arrest and was eventually tasered and arrested.

‘Eastaugh ran off and disappeared into a primary school. He was not arrested until a few days later.

‘Connors also tried to make an escape and despite being tasered continued to fight back. He was eventually subdued and handcuffed.’

A sledgehammer, crowbar and drill were found in the Alfa Romeo, the court was told.

Connors’ barrister Jonas Milner said he was a ‘family man’ and father who acknowledged the seriousness of his offending.

He has previous convictions for burglary in 2014 and handling stolen goods in 2018.

Eastaugh, whose fiancé attended court, is also a father.

Rodwell, the getaway driver, has three children and his fiancé also attended.

His barrister Deborah Morris said: ‘He loves driving, he loves cars and would like to get a job doing deliveries when he is eventually released, perhaps gaining a HGV license or forklift license.’

The damage caused when a Range Rover smashed through a Tesco store in Reading

Two of the gang wade their way through the wreckage following the ram-raid on the Coop store in Poole

She added that the cost of living crisis had affected the family and Rodwell began to feel like a failure when he couldn’t provide for his family.

She said he reverted to what he knew and went back to stealing cars.

He has previous convictions for burglary and received a 12 year sentence in 2017 for conspiracy to cause explosions.

Gnyp’s barrister Matthew Ness referred to him as ‘the runt of the litter’ saying he had a far more limited role in the offending compared to the other defendants.

He has two children in Poland and was assisted in court by a Polish interpreter.

He has no previous convictions.

In response to submissions that the defendant’s family have said they are capable of honest work, Judge Simon Davis said: ‘This is a professional team of jewellery raiders and ram raiders.

‘I’m sure they can all work and could get work – but they chose this work.

‘If only they could have listened to their partners and mothers and done that work instead of smashing up people’s livelihoods, keeping them out of work and causing real shock and worry to people.’

In July 2017 Eastaugh was jailed for seven years and three months at Kingston Crown Court for the raid on John Terry’s mansion.

Rodwell was part of a team who blew up cash machines across Surrey and the Thames Valley in a ten month spree between July 2014 and April 2015.

He was jailed for 12 years in 2017 and began his latest crime campaign shortly after he was released early in 2021.

Connors, of Exmouth Road, Hayes, admitted 13 burglaries, two attempted burglaries, twenty vehicle thefts and an attempted theft of an ATM.

Rodwell, of Laurel Gardens, Ashford, admitted eight burglaries, three attempted burglaries, 11 number plate thefts and 19 thefts of vehicles.

Easthaugh, of Bedfront Close, Feltham admitted eight burglaries, nine number plate thefts and nine vehicle thefts.

Gnyp, of Allenby Road, Southall admitted two burglaries and one attempted burglary.

The hearing continues with the raiders due to be sentenced this afternoon. 

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