Six jailed for whisky theft totalling £23,000
By Annie HayesSix men are facing jail time after they were found guilty of stealing £23,000 worth of whisky from a haulage yard in Kent.
The stolen whisky stocks were discovered in DoverThe “professional thieves” also stole a refrigerated trailer containing £201,000 worth of Toblerone chocolate, along with another lorry worth £40,000.
Maidstone Crown Court heard the thefts took place in April 2013.
The theft of the whisky was discovered when the lorry arrived at the Port of Dover on its way to mainland Europe, while the lorry worth £40,000 was discovered with false number plates attached in Eythorne.
The lorry containing the chocolate was found abandoned in Lancashire, but the contents were never recovered.
The men were arrested after police searched properties in Kent, Merseyside, Lancashire and North Wales.
Four men from Liverpool were jailed in connection with the thefts: Lee Gilmore, 33, for four years and eight months, Jeffrey Hamid, 31, for four years and six months, John Dahl, 44, for four years and eight months and Darren Price, 39, who was sentenced to four years, eight months.
In addition, Stuart Nicolson, 48, from Kent received four years and Graham Ascroft, 55, from Lancashire, received four years eight months.