Designer handbags were a favourite target for a team of burglars who stole more than £500,000 worth of luxury goods from homes of the rich and famous, including Premier League footballers and rock stars.
Thomas Mee, 42, Vincent Ball, 52, and John Barlow, 58, all from Liverpool, were jailed for a conspiracy to burgle homes including those of Manchester City footballer Raheem Sterling and Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay.
Jewellery and watches were taken in the raids, often along with the householders’ handbag collections.
When the trio were apprehended, police found pictures of bags from Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent on the phone of Mee, who also admitted handling stolen goods at Chester Crown Court.
Images of handbags belonging to Victoria Higgins were sent by Mee, who offered them for sale to various contacts, the day after her home in Lapworth, West Midlands, was burgled in December 2018, the court heard.
Simon Parry, prosecuting, said: “The handbags aren’t standards handbags by any means. They are all designer handbags, always designer handbags that are stolen and high value jewellery.”
In a statement, Mrs Higgins, who had £54,000 worth of bags and jewellery taken, said: “Many items stolen were of great sentimental value, irreplaceable and collected over many years.”
The court heard during a burglary from a home in Willaston, Cheshire, more than £146,000 worth of goods including handbags and jewellery were stolen.
When the home of Mansfield Town owners John and Carolyn Radford in Barnby Moor, Nottinghamshire, was targeted almost £114,000 of goods were taken.
However, in some burglaries the team came away with less.
At the home of England player Sterling in Goostrey, Cheshire, they left empty-handed after the alarm was activated, while they took just a camera from popstar Kay’s Buckinghamshire mansion.
On the final raid before they were arrested, the burglars were disturbed by the son of Bury FC owner Steve Dale as they ransacked his bedroom.
As they fled the property, chased by Mr Dale’s son, the hapless criminals dropped watches worth between £300,000 and £500,000 and escaped with only a £10 note.
