Operation Crosscut was a multi-handed conspiracy relating to the activities of an organised crime group who operated throughout the midlands and as far afield as East Anglia.
We represented the two leading members of this gang, who were involved in stealing ATMs (cash machines) and their contents from banks and shops. The group would identify deserted farm buildings, steal a selection of vehicles including 4x4s and low-loaders, and then ram-raid the bank in order to forcibly remove the ATM from the wall. This would then be loaded onto a truck and taken to the deserted barn where it would be cut into and the contents stolen. In the morning local residents would find a large hole in the wall of the bank, and a nearby farmer would find deserted vehicles and a damaged cash machine.
The evidence in this case involved a large number of different events at different locations, scientific evidence including footprints, DNA and fingerprints, and mobile phone and cellsite evidence, all of which had to be carefully assessed.
This case was particularly poignant because we represented several of the group in 2010 when they were previously sentenced for the same type of offence.