A “prolific” group of four burglars who often struck Asians across London, targeting them for their high-value gold, has been jailed.
They stole jewellery worth £39,695 and £13,340 in cash by targeting the elderly and vulnerable during their burglary spree which lasted a little more than two months last year.
John Casey, 43, and Michael Casey, 47 - both of Kingfisher Lane in West Sussex - Martin Moloney, 42, of West Drayton and Sean McGoldrick, 50, of Iver posed as legitimate workmen to enter the homes of their victims.
Some of the items they stole - such as engagement rings - had sentimental value and were irreplaceable, the Met Police said.
All four offenders pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary at Harrow Crown Court.
The group would approach houses of elderly occupants and introduce themselves as workmen. They would then engage in conversation with the occupants before entering the houses to look for plumbing issues. They would ask the householder to remove items from under the sink to distract them.
Michael Casey, Maloney and McGoldrick would then enter the premises and search for cash, jewellery, watches and gold, while John Casey would wait outside in their mission vehicle ready to make their escape.
They followed a similar modus operandi in the burglaries they committed at Tower Hamlets, Colindale, Ealing, Barnet, Greenwich, Hillingdon, Brent, Enfield, Hounslow, Islington and Barnet between January 17 and March 29, 2022.
They fled with gold and jewelled rings, bangles and earrings worth £23,720 from a single offence.
The offenders were intercepted in a pub in Cricklewood in Barnet after they forensically cleansed and abandoned their last ‘mission’ vehicle.
Scotland Yard’s officers arrested John Casey, Michael Casey and Maloney after they were observed visiting the house of an elderly person. McGoldrick was arrested a few days later.
A joint investigation by officers from north and west London and the Met’s Flying Squad brought the offenders to justice.
On April 4, John Casey was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison while Michael Casey was jailed for seven years and nine months. Moloney was handed down a prison term of five years and four months and McGoldrick was ordered to undergo imprisonment for six years and six months.
Detective Superintendent Simon Moring from the Met’s Central Specialist Crime - Flying Squad, said they were sophisticated in their offending and forensically aware.
They frequently changed vehicles to evade capture, but the information and CCTV footage provided by members of the public helped the officers catch the burglars, Moring said.
