Jail for London-wide burglary gang snared by Brent Police

A burglary gang which included twin brothers and another pair of siblings have been jailed for carrying out a series of break-ins in Brent and across London.

Twins Leon and Ashley Thomas, Reiss Brown, all 29 and from Mitcham, and brothers Billie and Tommy Backshall, 22 and 20, from Morden, were snared following an operation by Brent Crime Squad

Harrow Crown Court heard officers discovered the gang were travelling across London where they used a distraction technique to steal property including cash and phone cards from small business premises.

During the summer of 2013 and early in 2014 they carried out thefts in Brent, Islington, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Ealing, Lewisham, Newham, Camden, Waltham Forest, Kensington & Chelsea, Enfield, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Barking, Merton and Greenwich.

A large number of their crimes were caught on CCTV.

Due to the Thomas brothers being twins, identification proved difficult, but determined officers managed to gather evidence to prove they were each at the scene of each crime.

All five previously pleaded guilty to burglary/conspiracy to commit to burglary and last week they were sent to jail.

The Backshall brothers and Leon Thomas received one year and four months, the other twin was sentenced to a year and Brown was jailed for one year and three months.

DC Michaelis, from Brent Police, said: “These men committed, planned and organised these offences on virtually a daily basis.

“Local residents can be assured that the Brent Crime Squad will put fear in to burglary offenders operating on this borough and arresting them when they least expect it.”

All five have also been handed Criminal Anti-social Behaviour Orders (CRASBOs) which bans them from entering any shop or retail premises whilst in company with any of the others within England and Wales.