Trio who burgled Sheffield newsagents walk away from court with suspended sentences

Quick-responding police officers caught three masked burglars while they were in the middle of raiding a Sheffield newsagents in the dead of night.
National News in Wostenholm Road, Sharrow was burgled in the early hours of August 24 this year. Picture: Google MapsNational News in Wostenholm Road, Sharrow was burgled in the early hours of August 24 this year. Picture: Google Maps
National News in Wostenholm Road, Sharrow was burgled in the early hours of August 24 this year. Picture: Google Maps

Robert Clixby, 39, John Farnell, 28, and Richard Mansell, 37, broke into National News newsagents in Wostenholm Road, Sharrow in the early hours of August 24 this year.

During a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, prosecutor, Neil Coxon, described how the owner of the newsagents left the premises ‘locked and secure’ when he left the previous evening.

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“He was awoken at 5.30 in the early hours of the morning and was told [over the phone] that the shop had been broken into. Police were in the area just before 2am, and were alerted that there appeared to be a burglary in progress with men inside.

“They arrived and saw the front door was open ajar. Police entered...looked around, and in the rear of the shop they saw silhouetted figures, they were Farnell and Clixby. They were found to be wearing balaclavas and gloves,” Mr Coxon said.

More officers were called to the scene, and Mansell, who was also wearing a balaclava, was discovered at the back of the shop.

Police told the trio they were armed with tasers, and all three defendants were arrested at the scene.

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All three defendants pleaded guilty to commercial burglary.

Farnell also admitted that his involvement in the burglary put him in breach of a suspended order.

Mr Coxon told the court that all of the defendants have extensive criminal records.

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Clixby, of Thornbridge Crescent, Frecheville has previously committed 25 offences; Mansell, of Flockton Court, Sheffield city centre has a criminal record of some 29 offences and Farnell has previously been convicted of 31 offences.

Geoff Flemming, mitigating for Farnell and Clixby, described the skill with which his clients committed the burglary as ‘inept’.

He said Farnell recognised he had put ‘his liberty in some jeopardy’ by committing the burglary while he was within the license period of his suspended sentence, adding that Farnell was now in work.

“I would ask the court to consider either a suspended sentence order or a curfew, or an unpaid work requirement,” Mr Flemming.

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Turning his attention to Clixby’s mitigation, Mr Flemming said that in recent years Clixby had moved away from the people he had been associating with when he committed many of his offences, and had settled down and ‘become a family’.

Mr Flemming said Clixby had gained employment with Iceland as a delivery driver, and did not seek to ‘blame anyone else’ for his actions.

Defending Mansell, Tim Gobert described the burglary as ‘utterly stupid,’ adding that should Mansell be sent to prison he would lose his accommodation, which provides him ‘with a base for which to care for his mother and father,’ both of whom have health problems.

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Recorder Duncan Smith sentenced all three defendants to six months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered them to each complete 100 hours of unpaid work, as well as 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

“You have all got awful records. You were wearing masks that day. It was a team effort,” said Recorder Smith, before adding that he believed there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation for Clixby, Mansell and Farnell.

“It’s about time you stopped behaving like juveniles, you’ve probably all got responsibility for children who look up to you. You should be ashamed of yourselves,” he said.