Tameside man jailed as part of gang which carried out armed robberies

A man from Tameside has been jailed as part of a gang which carried out a series of armed robberies targeting cash in transit drivers. 

Liam McCloy, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and was jailed for six years. 

Two other men - Paul Dunn, 34, from Hulme and Nathan Kennedy, 42, from Trafford - are also now behind bars. 

In total, the group stole almost £260,000.

As the investigation developed, the gang were identified and linked to their crimes by their MO. Each time, the guard was attacked by the masked group with an axe.

Whilst they tried to cover their tracks by hiring rental cars and wearing balaclavas, days after each robbery, money was deposited into Dunn’s and Kennedy’s bank account, leaving a paper trail of the crimes and leading detectives straight to their doorsteps.

However, their high of hitting the jackpot was short lived as Dunn gambled away the stolen cash with little success.

On returning from a family holiday, McCloy was arrested on the plane when it landed. After attempting to hide his phone, officers recovered the device which had phone numbers saved that were attributed to Kennedy and Dunn.

Further examination of his phone showed he’d tried to delete dozens of incriminating messages between them.

On 11 August 2022, officers executed three warrants across Greater Manchester and arrested Dunn.

On 31 August 2022, Kennedy was arrested and, after an unsuccessful attempt to hide his phone, officers uncovered multiple messages to Dunn and McCloy which fit the timeline of offences. An additional £1,000 was also found hidden in his house. 

Detective Inspector Rick Castley, from GMP Serious Organised Crime Group, said: "Working with our partners across the region, we’re determined to stop these types of offences. It is categorically not an easy way to make money, and it isn’t a victimless crime. This was a series of terrifying incidents that saw members of the public, who were simply doing their job, seriously assaulted by masked men armed with weapons and scared for their lives.

"Their robbery spree days are now over following an extensive investigation and I hope these sentencings send out a clear message – no matter how organised and sophisticated a gang may think they are – we will track down offenders and bring them to justice.

Sarah Staff, Director of the British Security Industry Association and Head of SaferCash, said: "This series of robberies involved extreme violence against staff whilst they carried out ATM replenishments.

"SaferCash works closely with Greater Manchester Police and their Cash & Valuables in Transit members to support these investigations as the ongoing safety of their staff is paramount.

"The sentences received today reflects the seriousness of this offending and on behalf of the industry I would thank all those involved in this investigation for their tireless work in apprehending those involved."

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