Stonebridge teen jailed for role in the theft of 500 bicycles

A Stonebridge teenager has been jailed for his role in the theft of more than 500 bicycles across London and Hertfordshire which were sold online.

Joshua Scott, 19, of Marshall Street, teamed up with Zayn Khan, 19, and 26-year-old Tomasz Brzezinski, both from Ealing, in a criminal plot where the bicycles where stolen from railway stations and public bike racks.

The trio were arrested following a long-running investigation between British Transport Police (BTP) and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

The probe linked them to 530 thefts using a series of techniques including CCTV footage and online adverts selling the bicycles.

Since their arrest, a further 460 online adverts for stolen bikes were linked to the trio which were taken into consideration at court, and formed part of their guilty plea.

Last week at Blackfriars Crown Court Scott and Khan were given two years reduced to 18 months and Brzezinski was sentenced to three years reduced to 30 months.

All admitted conspiracy to steal pedal cycles and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

Detective Sergeant Paddy Kerr from BTP, said: “These men were involved in an elaborate criminal conspiracy to steal bikes from public bike racks and then quickly sell them on for cash – often using popular auction websites.

“They were organised criminals, targeting expensive bikes belonging to rail commuters. By disrupting large-scale criminal activity like this, we can continue to reduce the number of bikes stolen from railway stations in the London area.”

The bicycles worth £74,000 were stolen from Willesden Junction, Cricklewood, Harlesden, Richmond, Twickenham, Paddington, Eden Park, Waterloo, Watford, Watford Junction, St Albans City and Hounslow, between July 2012 and December 2013.