Prolific burglars who scammed medical staff jailed

Two members of a gang who carried out almost 50 sneak-in burglaries before scamming their victims have been jailed at Lincoln Crown Court.

The men, who were from Coventry but operated across 13 counties, including Lincolnshire, would steal purses and wallets from premises including GP surgeries before calling their victims and posing as bank workers or police officers to gather financial details.

Darren Wykes and George Quinn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit fraud at an earlier hearing.

Wykes, 46, of Kempley Avenue, Coventry, was jailed for five years and four months. Quinn, 58, of Ansty Road, Coventry, was sent to prison for five years.

Det Sgt Adam Petty, from Lincolnshire Police, said the "unscrupulous fraudsters targeted hard-working people" and used "every trick in the book to deceive and manipulate" them.

The string of offences began at a GP surgery in Lincoln in March 2023, before the gang moved on to similar premises in Market Rasen, Louth and Boston.

They targeted care homes, schools and other surgeries in dozens of towns and cities, including Leicester, Bristol and Southampton, before the final offence in Derbyshire in May 2024.

Wykes and Quinn were assisted by David Ovington, 59, of Skipton Gardens, Coventry, and Daniel Sutherland, 41, of Sedgemoor Road, Coventry.

Ovington and Sutherland, who provided transport, also admitted conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit fraud. They were each given a suspended prison sentence of 21 months.

Lincolnshire Police, which worked with 11 forces on the investigation, described the men, who carried out 46 burglaries in total, as a "highly organised criminal gang".

Wykes would enter a building to steal wallets or purses from bags or coats.

Quinn would then call the premises posing as a bank worker or police officer asking to speak to the person named on any debit card, before conning the victim into providing their personal details.

The gang would use the details they obtained from each victim to buy electrical items or foreign currency.

Det Sgt Petty said: "They would callously engineer a spurious scenario to create a situation of panic, taking advantage of the victims while at their most vulnerable, to fraudulently obtain their PIN number.

"Through sheer hard work and dedication and meticulous data analysis, we have been able to bring these offenders to justice. We are delighted to have helped deliver justice for so many victims."

Passing sentence, Recorder Simon King said the men should all be "thoroughly ashamed", particularly of the impact on victims.

The court heard some victims lost personal mementos of loved ones.

"You played them like fish and that's not said in admiration, it's said in disgust," the judge added.

Sutherland was also sentenced to 200 hours' unpaid work, while Ovington was given a curfew for 12 months.

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