The men flee B&M
(Picture: Nottinghamshire Police)This is the moment three London thieves “brazenly” grab sets of Lego including Disney Princess castles across a spree hitting up B&M stores across Nottinghamshire.
A manhunt was launched after stores in Worksop, Mansfield and Netherfield were raided two days – with over £4,000 worth of Lego sets taken.
The gang were caught when a police officer spotted their getaway vehicle packed full of Minecraft and Disney sets of Lego on August 31.
CCTV showed three men wearing baseball caps entering the store during opening hours and taking reusable shopping bags, before filling them up with Lego products and walking out without paying.
In one of the raids when the trio were challenged by a shop worker one swore at her before fleeing in a car.
Their vehicle was wanted in connection with the Lego thefts and so a team of officers stopped the vehicle as it travelled along a dual carriageway.
All three male occupants were then arrested and later charged with three counts of theft.
Conlon McDonagh, 22, of Southall, west London, Tom McDonagh, 22, of Enfield, north London, and Patrick Ward, 22, also of Southall, admitted theft at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on September 2.
They were each jailed for 18 weeks, suspended for 12 months. To avoid jail they must not commit any further offences.
The trio were also banned from entering any B&M store in England and Wales for a year.
Sergeant Antony Coleman, who oversaw the investigation, said: “Thanks to the instincts of the patrolling officers whose suspicions were aroused by the considerable amount of Lego in the vehicle, these brazen thieves were all swiftly caught.
“They travelled to Nottinghamshire to commit these high-value thefts, thinking they could get away with it. They were wrong.”
