Three burglars have been jailed for five years and three months each after stealing nearly £1 million worth of <a href="https://healthylife7.com/uvm-health-to-suspend-weight-loss-drug-coverage-for-its-employees/” title=”UVM Health To Suspend Weight Loss Drug Coverage For Its Employees”>weight loss drug Mounjaro from a distribution site
The trio broke into a pharmaceutical distribution site, Handley Page Way, St Albans, by climbing through a duct behind an air conditioning unit and breaking into a walk-in fridge
Mark Harding, 55; Robert Townsend, 59; and Peter Costello, 44, carried out a “highly organised” and “sophisticated” burglary on January 24 this year
On Wednesday at St Albans Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Mann KC sentenced the three defendants after watching extensive CCTV footage of the incident
He said: “Tools were used to cut through an air conditioning unit, which enabled Mr Costello and Mr Harding to enter the property
“According to the prosecution, the two of you used a ledge in order to enter the property and to avoid setting off the alarms
“Doing that must mean that you knew to do that, which means that this was thought about in advance.”
The prosecution said Townsend had stayed outside as a “lookout” and had “scouted out” the site a week earlier
Costello, of Sydney Road, Sutton; Harding, of Chertsey Road, Feltham; and Townsend, of Lower Pillory Down, Sutton, were all charged with burglary after being arrested on February 11
Harding and Townsend also admitted to possession of criminal property after being found with thousands of pounds secreted away in their homes
Some £35,000 in cash was found in a picnic basket in Harding’s wardrobe, while £19,900 was found behind an extractor fan in Townsend’s home, the court heard
All of that money was thought to relate to this offence and the £944,544.89 worth of weight loss drugs have not been found
Judge Mann said: “I have no doubt in concluding that a great deal of money was made as an effect of the distribution of the Mounjaro.”
CCTV shown in court saw Costello and Harding both clad in black, wearing gloves and carrying torches, climb into the building through the air duct
They then moved quickly through the site and “forced open” a large refrigerated area, where they began to take out boxes of the weight-loss drug
The defendants left and then came back for more boxes less than two hours later
Prosecuting, Harrie Austin-Jones said “there was advanced targeting and scoping of the building” which meant they knew how to circumvent the alarms
They also sprayed black paint on some of the CCTV cameras, the court heard
On behalf of Harding, Graham Logan argued that he “didn’t know the full extent of what was involved,” and sought to minimise the sophistication of the burglary
However, Judge Mann was unconvinced and said “it belies common sense” that any of them did not know what they were getting themselves into
All three defendants had previous convictions, with Costello and Harding both prosecuted for other burglaries in the last decade
The trio were watched from a packed public gallery of their family and friends as each was jailed for five years and three months for burglary, with Townsend and Harding receiving nine-month concurrent sentences for the criminal property charge
Proceeds of crime proceedings will take place in relation to the criminal property found at the homes of Townsend and Harding
