Police have released video footage showing the inside of a 'chop shop' used by two brothers to break down stolen cars and sell the parts on eBay.
Connor and Kieran Maher have now been jailed for their part in the £120,000 operation in which they used a unit in a mill in Radcliffe, Bury, to break down high-end cars including BMWs, Range Rovers and Audis. They then sold the parts on to fund a 'lucrative lifestyle', the court heard.
When police uncovered the unit they found parts from at least 15 cars. Some of the cars were almost wholly intact, while some were merely wheels and panels. Many of the cars could almost be fitted back together.
Greater Manchester Police have released footage today showing the inside of the unit. Dismantled high-end car parts can be seen carefully laid out on the floor in the same formation as they would be in the car.
The footage also shows a number of car keys hung up on a wall and the signal jammers used in the unit which would prevent GPRS trackers emitting signals and block signal to their mobile phones.
Minshull Street Crown Court was told how police first launched an investigation in March 2020 into stolen vehicle parts from across the region. They found that Connor, 29, had set up an eBay account under the name ‘connormaher92’ before changing it to ‘C.Parts’. The site substantially increased in traffic following the release of Connor and Kieran from custody for separate offences.
“A speculative search identified that eBay user account connormaher92 listed numerous vehicle parts for sale. It was clear from the adverts that the vast majority of parts were from ‘late model’ or nearly new vehicles, with volume parts from the same relatively new vehicle,” Mark Kellet, prosecuting, said.
On March 17 2020, officers attended at Unit 58, Pioneer Mill, and found Kieran on the phone outside, and Connor driving a white Berlingo van at the back. Following a search of Connor’s address in Poynton in April, officers found a Ford Fiesta, a Range Rover and a BMW which contained vehicle parts, £100 in cash, a registration plate and a radio frequency detector used to block transmission from devices such as tracking devices.
On the Range Rover, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) had been ground away. The VIN displayed on the driver’s door and the front windscreen matched the registration of the vehicle. However, the engine number related to a different car which was stolen on January 6. The GPS system had also been disabled.
At the mill, officers found a number of cars without registration plates and in varying states of destruction. All ‘marketable parts’ were being systematically removed from each vehicle prior to the main vehicle bodyshell being cut up into small sections for easy disposal.
Police also found engines and gearboxes from Audi’s, VW Golfs and Polos, BMWs, as well as two tracker blockers. The vehicles were said to have been stolen following home burglaries.
The court was told that Connor and Kieran had earlier been arrested for their part in growing cannabis at a number of houses across Greater Manchester.
On September 19 2017, a man was assaulted and kidnapped, later alleging the Maher brothers were responsible. This led the police to investigate them in relation to the production of the class B drug.
Houses in Hollingworth, Cheadle Hulme, Hazel Grove, Swinton and Wilmslow were searched, with officers finding a large account of drug paraphernalia including electronic scales, 600W lamps, cannabis plants and drying racks.
They both later pleaded guilty to the production of cannabis on the day of their trial, and were released from custody. They were not tried on the assault or kidnap of the man as the CPS offered no evidence.
Connor Maher was said to have no previous convictions while Kieran Maher, 31, had two previous convictions for five offences including possession with intent to supply cannabis.
Due to the time the brothers had already spent in prison, it is likely they will be released immediately, their barristers Ian McMeekin and David Wood told the court.
Sentencing them, Judge Paul Lawton said the brothers chose to bond through ‘serious criminality’ dating back to Spring 2017 when they began by ‘commercially farming cannabis’. The judge described it as a ‘prolonged and lucrative’ venture.
Connor Maher, of Spinners Lane, was jailed for five years and five months; Kieran Maher, of Ellesmere Avenue, was jailed for 36 months.
In a statement issued today, GMP said Jody Allen, 40, of Brogan Avenue, Manchester also worked with the group to steal, dismantle and sell car parts online. She was given 15 months suspended for two years for handling stolen goods.
"The group were stealing cars and dismantling them to make a profit"
Detective Inspector Phil Kennedy, from GMP's Serious and Organised Crime Group, said: "These sentences are a result of an extensive investigation carried out by detectives in SOCG who meticulously pieced together the extent of their organised and illegal organisation. The group were stealing cars and dismantling them to make a profit and the chop shop we raided was clearly an organised set up, even fitted with a signal jammer to prevent us finding them.
"Cars are of both great value and sentimental value to some people and we understand that having a car stolen can have a huge impact both financially and emotionally.
"Burglaries across the region are constantly monitored and officers far and wide across the force are continuing to follow up a number of lines of enquiry to identify those responsible and return any items back to the rightful owners.
"Not only SOCG, but officers from other areas including the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit (TVIU) use both covert and marked cars, as well as ANPR technology, to catch suspected burglars and robbers and find any reported stolen cars.
"Stolen cars is a national issue and we continuously work with colleagues across the UK to tackle the issue. There's a number of investigations on-going and often it's found that one burglary is linked to a wider series which are carefully pieced together by officers over a period of time.
"We will continue to work to bring offenders to justice, but I would ask that residents help us to help them by following our simple advice - do not leave your car keys on show or where they can easily be reached when at home, always keep your windows and doors locked and for anyone who has a steering lock, I would encourage you to use it. There are also other ways to help keep your car safe such as investing in a tracking device.
"Anyone with information about car thefts or anyone who believes suspicious activity is taking place at premises' can call report it online at www.gmp.police.uk or alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
