Man jailed following Chester burglaries

A man who broke into a charity shop and a convenience store in Chester has been jailed.

Stefan Moores appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 5 April where he was sentenced to three-years in prison.

The 34-year-old of Breacon Towers in Brinnington, Stockport, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary other than a dwelling.

During the hearing the court was told how on the evening of Sunday 19 November 2023, Moores and two unknown accomplices travelled from Manchester to Chester in a stolen Hyundai i30 which was displaying false number plates.

The men arrived at Weston Grove shopping parade in Upton shortly after 11pm and walked to the back of the shops, where they smashed open the door of a Barnardo’s charity shop.

Once inside, the trio forced open a safe in the store and stole almost £450 cash from the charity.

After stealing the cash, the men then set about making a large hole in the wall to gain access to the adjoining Tesco Express, from where they stole approximately £10,000 worth of cigarettes and stamps.

The trio left the scene at around 3.45am the following day and made off in the stolen Hyundai. Between the group they caused over £5,250 worth of damage to the two stores.

The incidents were reported to Cheshire Police and an investigation was launched by officers from Chester Proactive Policing Team.

During their enquiries detectives discovered traces of Moores’ DNA on the cigarette display. Traces of his DNA were also found on a screwdriver in the stolen car which was recovered by Greater Manchester Police in the Wythenshawe area on Thursday 7 December 2023.

Moores was subsequently arrested at his home in Brinnington on Thursday 29 February 2024. During a search of the property officers discovered footwear which which matched CCTV footage from the scene.

Following his arrest Moores was charged in relation to the incidents and subsequently pleaded guilty on his appearance at court.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable James Wright, of Chester Proactive Policing Team, said:

“It is clear that this was a carefully planned attack. Moores and his accomplices travelled to Cheshire that night determined to steal as much as possible.

“Their main aim was to use the charity store as an easy route to gain access to the adjoining Tesco Express from where they could steal the cigarettes and stamps.  To them, the cash from the charity shop safe was simply a bonus, however £500 is a huge amount of money to the charity which could have been used to help vulnerable children.

“The trio used a variety of tactics to try and evade police, including using false registration plates and balaclavas. But thanks to the hard work of our officers, we were able to gather compelling evidence against Moores leaving him with no option but to admit his guilt.

“While Moores is now behind bars, this investigation remains ongoing and we are committed to doing all we can to identify the two outstanding offenders to ensure they are also brought to justice.

“I hope that this case acts as a warning to those intent on travelling into Cheshire to commit crime – we will find you and you will be held responsible.”

Enquiries to identify and locate the outstanding two suspects remain ongoing and anyone with any information is asked to call Cheshire Police on 101 or visit: 

www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us 

...quoting IML 1695173.

Pictured - Stefan Moore of Breacon Towers in Brinnington, Stockport.