Thieves targeted a lorry filled with £40,000 of Ted Baker body spray as the driver slept. Two men received jail sentences.
Michael Sanderson, 38, and John Eastman, 42, both received jail time for their roles in the crime. They had planned the theft very carefully.
The thieves broke into the lorry and began taking what they wanted when police arrived and caught them loading a getaway car. The thieves drove from Yorkshire with the intention of stealing in Trafford Park. The driver slept in a layby. Police recovered all of the body spray.
The lorry driver, who was transporting the spray from South Wales, parked in Trafford Park to rest. He intended to deliver the spray to Boots, where it would be sold in their stores. He arrived around 5:30 pm on October 26, 2022 and slept in the lorry cab.
He woke at 3 am, feeling the lorry move. He initially tried to go back to sleep, but the movement continued, prompting him to phone 999. Police arrived and arrested four men.
The thieves moved 13,400 cans of body spray, placing them in their car. The spray, intended for Christmas 2022 sales, was worth over £40,000.
Prosecutors argued that the theft was well-planned, with the thieves knowing what they wanted and driving from West Yorkshire to steal.
Sanderson’s lawyer argued in court it was partly unplanned, stating the thieves did not initially know the lorry’s contents.
Sanderson’s lawyer said he was struggling and needed money badly at the time. Eastman’s lawyer highlighted that everything was recovered and argued that drugs contributed to the crime. Lawyers added both men are now clean of drugs.
Sanderson admitted to the lorry theft, as well as other crimes, including stealing another lorry containing candy and possessing a stolen lorry in Middlesborough.
Eastman admitted to the Manchester theft. The judge stated that they planned it well and described it as a complex crime.
Sanderson, who lived in Leeds, received a sentence of four years and two months. Eastman, who was homeless at the time, was sentenced to 22 months in jail.