Pallbearers at a funeral in Ormskirk had to 'tread carefully' after a gang stole paving stones from the church.
The gang targeted churches across Lancashire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The criminals spent 'hours' digging up the historic paving slabs before selling them on.
Chester Crown Court heard how Ormskirk Parish Church was targeted by the gang. Prosecutor Owen Edwards said pallbearers at a funeral had to 'tread carefully to simply make their way to the church.'
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Jason Perry, 49, a veteran who received a bravery medal following tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as brothers Connor Lipinski, 28, and Owen Lipinski, 31, were involved in the 'despicable' plot.
The court heard the thefts had a huge impact on congregations at the churches, with the repair bill across all eight said to total more than £100,000, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The churches targeted were Church of All Saints, Glossop; St Cuthbert's Church, Halsall, Ormskirk; St Michael's Church, Aughton, Ormskirk; St Ambrose, Grindleton, Clitheroe; St Mary's Church, Whalley; Ormskirk Parish Church; All Saints Church, Grindon, Staffordshire; and St Mary's Church, Astbury.
At St Ambrose in Grindleton, following the theft a bride had to walk down a 'dirt path' rather than a path which was 'hundreds of years old'.
Members of the congregation at the churches told of their 'disbelief', and how they 'felt violated'. "The importance of the buildings to their communities cannot be understated," Daniel Jones of Historic England said, in a statement read in court.
"The damage is irreparable." Prosecutors said that the gang sold on the stones at a reclamation yard, often for a fraction of what they were worth.
"I have no doubt you chose these places because during the week, no doubt many churches are quiet," Judge Steven Everett told the trio. "All were incredibly vulnerable to the likes of you, because you could just go there and work unhindered, presumably for hours.
"You undoubtedly felt that the chances of you being caught were rather slimmer than if you committed these offences elsewhere. The reality is the damage and theft was enormous. It must have been a terrible, terrible shock for them.
"It is important that buildings within our country and heritage are regarded properly with reverence and respect. The likes of you shouldn't be getting your hands on them and taking things away."
Defending Perry, Stuart Neale said the defendant had 'served his country well' and was awarded a medal for bravery. He said Perry had since suffered mental health problems and his marriage broke down ten years ago.
Perry, of Wallshaw Street, Oldham, had since wracked up 'huge debts' and was using his ill-gotten gains to furnish his flat, Mr Neale said. He was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal, as well as driving while disqualified and handling stolen goods.
Peter Barnett, for Connor Lipinski, said he is a dad-of-four who has suffered from depression. He self medicated with cannabis and has built up debts, the court heard. Lipinski, of Gale Court, Rochdale, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal.
Sarah Badrawy, for his brother Owen Lipinski, said he had been involved to a lesser extent, only being involved in three of the thefts, and has suffered serious mental health problems. The judge said it was a 'close run thing' but that he could avoid sending him to jail.
Lipinski, also of Gale Court, Rochdale, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
After the hearing, PC Rob Stordy, from Cheshire Police, said: “By working together with other forces and with the expert help and advice from Historic England, we have brought these men to justice for pillaging our rich history. These crimes impacted the heart of our rural communities and left most of the paths impassable due to the damage the men had caused by removing the stones.
"I hope today’s result sends a message to thieves that rural crime is taken extremely seriously. We will do all we can to get justice for our rural residents and keep Cheshire a hostile environment for criminals."
Mark Harrison, Head of Heritage Crime Strategy at Historic England, added: "The outcome of this case highlights the benefits of collaborative working between the Cheshire Constabulary, Crown Prosecution Service, church communities and Historic England and is an approach we shall continue to use when dealing with the theft of historic stone. The theft of stone from historic church buildings is serious organised acquisitive crime.
"Removing large areas of paving from church buildings has not just a serious financial impact on church communities but a significant impact on their morale. The stone stolen in this case will have historic and cultural value and its removal can lead to irreparable loss and damage not just to individual communities but to the whole nation, which is why tackling this type of heritage crime is so important."
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