Two men sentenced to prison after stealing 20 pieces of farm machinery
Date of alert:
Tuesday, 2 January 2024
Crime Ref:
Force:
Avon & Somerset Constabulary
Two men who were found with 20 pieces of stolen farm machinery have been sentenced to prison amid growing concern over thefts in rural areas.
Harry Hollowell, 25 and Vincent Bruce, 23, appeared at Bristol Crown Court just before Christmas Day after pleading guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods.
In October 2020, Somerset Police's Operation Remedy team – who specialise in dealing with rural burglaries – carried a stolen goods search warrant at a farm near Sparkford.
They discovered and seized 20 stolen machines, with further machines since recovered throughout the investigation.
The court heard that Hollowell and Bruce had been purchasing agricultural machinery stolen from farm burglaries in the Sedgemoor area of West Somerset throughout 2020.
They also bought and sold stolen plant machinery which had been taken from building sites in the Cardiff area in 2020.
