Criminal gang jailed for burgling a house
It happened last June and at the time, police didn't realise the gang had just committed an aggravated burglary in Taunton
Last updated 4th Apr 2024
Four men have been jailed for a total of 45 years at Newport Crown Court for burgling a house in the St Mellons area of Cardiff.
It happened in June 2023, and at the time, police didn't realise the gang had just committed an aggravated burglary in Taunton - where they forced entry to an address with crowbars and machetes, forced the occupants into a house and to lie face down.
In the incident in Somerset, it's reported the offenders made off with approximately £50,000 worth of jewellery from this address.
During the original investigation into the incident in Wales, police say the four men and a 17-year-old boy travelled to Cardiff in two hire vehicles with altered registration numbers.
Charlie Seeney and Thomas Hagans broke into the address and stole a safe which was hidden inside.
Simon Seeney – Charlie’s father - and Ras Thomas were also present with the two vehicles.
Police used CCTV, mobile phone data and vehicle tracking technology to identify the suspects and traced them to addresses in Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol.
Charlie Seeney (18) and Simon Seeney (42), both from Birmingham pled guilty to burglary, aggravated burglary and assault before the trial started.
Earlier this year (February 21st), following a trial, Thomas Hagans (41) from Birmingham, Ras Thomas (41) from Cardiff and Craig Shaw (34) from Birmingham were found guilty by a jury - and have now been sentenced (April 3rd) at Newport Crown Court.
They have confirmed:
- Ras Thomas received a 13-year sentence
- Thomas Hagans received 13-year sentence
- Craig Shaw received 10-year sentence
- Simon Seeney received 9-year sentence
Charlie Seeney is now aged 18 but was 17 at time of his sentence, and was dealt with at Birmingham Youth Court and received a 12-month youth referral.
Detective Constable Rhys Perrett said: “I want to pay tribute to the victims of both crimes for their strength and courage throughout the investigation.
“This was a complex investigation in which South Wales Police, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service worked to together to achieve the guilty pleas and convictions we have seen in Court.
“The sentences handed down at Newport Crown Court reflect the serious nature of the crimes these men committed. These dangerous individuals are now in custody for a significant amount of time.”
“The joint efforts South Wales Police and our colleagues in Avon and Somerset shows the dedication to keeping our communities safe by taking dangerous offenders like these off the streets for a considerable amount of time.”