Two South Yorkshire men caught trying to break into stolen safe

Two offenders have been given community orders after they were caught trying to break into a stolen safe.
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Sheffield Crown Court heard on February 4 how Stephen Flinders, aged 42, of Mason Avenue, Swallownest, near Sheffield, and Jack Westrop, aged 19, of Wharton Avenue, Swallownest, both admitted handling stolen goods.

Ben Thomas, prosecuting, said a safe and its contents were stolen from Aston Joint Service Centre, on Worksop Road, Swallownest, including £669 on October 14, 2019, and the safe was discovered missing when cleaners entered the property.

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Mr Thomas added police later responded to a report of males who had been seen trying to break into a safe at Westrop’s address on Wharton Avenue and officers heard banging noises.

Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how two offenders have been given community orders after they were caught trying to break into a stolen safe.Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how two offenders have been given community orders after they were caught trying to break into a stolen safe.
Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how two offenders have been given community orders after they were caught trying to break into a stolen safe.

Westrop claimed other males had arrived at his home and had asked him to if they could use his back garden.

The defendants, who were not deemed responsible for stealing the safe, pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods.

Judge Rachael Harrison told the defendants: “What both of you chose to do was to involve yourselves in handling a safe taken some six hours earlier.

"Both of you were found trying to break it open.”

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Judge Harrison sentenced Flinders to an 18-month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a four-month curfew, and she sentenced Westrop to a 12-month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 80 hours of unpaid work.

She told the defendants: “If the two of you come back to court you are going to prison. It’s as simple as that.”

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