Pair jailed for robbery, burglary and theft offences in Frodsham area

Two men have been sentenced for robbery, burglary and theft offences following a two-week crime spree in Frodsham and Helsby.

Andrew Hughes, of Southampton Way in Runcorn, and Owen Dunn, of Greenwood Gardens in Bredbury, Stockport, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday 2 February.

Hughes, 40, was sentenced to four years and 25 days, while Dunn, 24, was sentenced to four years and 90 days for a series of incidents in Frodsham and Helsby.

The pair had previously pleaded guilty to robbery, burglary other than a dwelling, theft from a motor vehicle, and attempted theft from a motor vehicle.

Their crime spree began on 19th August 2024. At some time between 9pm and 9.30pm a 15-year-old boy was cycling along Ship Street in Frodsham, when a grey Ford Puma followed him before ramming him off his bike.

The victim was flung to the ground, suffering minor injuries, and ran from the scene in fear.

The passenger of the Ford Puma exited the vehicle and cycled away on the victim’s bike. The stolen e-bike was worth £1,200 and was never recovered.

On 30th August, occupants of an address on Elm Rise in Frodsham, were contacted by their neighbour while they were on holiday, who informed them it looked like the lock to their garage had been forced and the door was now open.

Two motorcycles and two e-bikes had been stolen from the garage. The total value was more than £14,000. These items were never recovered.

A few days later, on 3rd September, occupants of an address in Sandfields in Frodsham, realised a tent box and the roof bars it was attached to on top of their vehicle had been stolen. 

The tent box was valued at £1,230.25 and the roof bars were valued at £110. Sadly, these were never recovered.

On 8th September, an occupant left an address in Alvanley Drive, Helsby, and disturbed two men trying to steal a tent box from the roof of a vehicle parked on a driveway.

The two men fled the scene and jumped into a grey Ford Puma parked nearby.

The incident was reported to Cheshire Police and an officer on patrol in a marked police vehicle sighted the Ford Puma in Chester Road in Helsby.

Officers stopped the vehicle and detained the driver, later identified as Hughes, in the driver’s seat, and he was subsequently arrested. Two passengers fled from the car. Inside the vehicle two head torches, a wrench and a pair of pilers were located.

Analysis of Hughes’ internet search history on his mobile phone showed that he had searched for various phrases online to see if the robbery on 19th August had been reported to police.

This included ‘Frodsham police’ and ‘Cheshire Police latest incidents today’ as well as viewing the ‘news’, ‘appeals’ and ‘wanted’ sections on the Cheshire Police website on multiple occasions.

Across the period of offending Hughes also searched for bikes similar to the ones they had stolen to see how much they were worth.

Further analysis revealed they had listed a tent box for sale online before the theft offence was even committed, before then arranging to steal one to fulfil the sale.

Dunn was later linked to the offences due to messages found on Hughes’ mobile phone, as well as CCTV. He had fled the Ford Puma when it was stopped by officers on 8 September but was arrested on 19th January when he handed himself in at Runcorn Custody Suite following officers conducting a number of arrest attempts at associates addresses in the Runcorn area.

Further evidence linking the pair to the offences included the Ford Puma being in the area at each crime, as well as the mobile phones attributed to both Hughes and Dunn being present on each occasion.

Police Constable James Wright said:

“Hughes and Dunn were relentless in their offending. Not only did they target innocent people’s belongings for their own selfish gain, but they also carried out a frightening attack on a young boy to steal his bike.

“It’s a miracle he was not more seriously injured, and I hope the sentences handed down demonstrate how seriously we take offences of this nature.

“Our officers were able to collect a catalogue of evidence against the pair, leaving them with no choice but to plead guilty and face the consequences of their actions.”

Pictured - Andrew Hughes, of Southampton Way in Runcorn, and Owen Dunn, of Greenwood Gardens in Bredbury, Stockport.