Robert Holliday, 36, of Wolsingham, Durham was sentenced to two years and four months for theft of a motor vehicle, theft, and burglary other than dwelling.
Carlisle Crown Court heard that on September 9, two suspects snapped the locks into a business site on Pittwood Road, Lilyhall in Cumbria. They entered a building on site taking a number of keys.
One of the keys taken was for a Mitsubishi truck which they filled with power tools, plant, and machinery.
The suspects have then driven to another site belonging to the company nearby, they then attached a trailer to the Mitsubishi and returned to the first site and loaded two diggers onto the trailer.
Investigations were carried out and it was identified that a blue Skoda vehicle was involved in the theft, following the offence officers tracked the Mitsubishi travelling east on the A66 towards County Durham.
One of the suspects, Holliday was identified and data from his phone showed his movements corresponded with those of the Skoda, he was in the Lilyhall area at the time of the offence and was travelling east at the same time as the stolen Mitsubishi.
Holliday was arrested and a search carried out at his property where officers located a quantity of cash, a key for the stolen Mitsubishi truck with its registration number and the Skoda vehicle on false plates.
Data on Holliday’s phone also showed screenshots of his location in the Lilyhall industrial estate sent to a contact and he also carried out a number of calls in the lead up to and after the theft and burglary.
The officer investigating the case PC Lewis Quinn of Cumberland CID said “Investigations found that Holliday had travelled into Cumbria intent on committing theft.
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“We hope this acts as a warning to those intent on travelling to Cumbria to commit crime that we will investigate and work with our neighbouring force to put them before the courts to face prosecution.
“You can report suspicious persons or activity to police via our online reporting form, live chat or 101 or if a crime is occurring on 999.”
Operation Themis is Cumbria Constabulary’s response to and focus on burglaries.