Shocking moment brazen men break into homes during £250k car theft spree that landed them in jail

Video footage, released by West Midlands Police, has shown the moment that two men gained entry to a number of homes across Dudley and Sandwell while the unsuspecting victims were sleeping.

Between September 5, 2022, and December 2022, 15 vehicles were stolen from driveways across the Black Country, with an estimated total of £230,000 worth of vehicles being stolen.

The majority of burglaries were committed overnight while the victims were asleep in their homes, with each burglary consisting of the same technique.

CCTV footage shows the men as they gain entry to a number of homes, often snapping the locks on the front and rear doors of the properties, before stealing car keys.

The first offence in the series happened on September 5, at around 1.50am in the Halesowen area.

The incident saw a white Audi A3 stolen from a driveway after the front door was forced and the car keys were stolen from inside.

The stolen Audi was then used in a further two burglaries and two attempted burglaries in Halesowen, and an attempted burglary in Dudley.

Following police enquiries that utilised CCTV footage, ANPR data and forensics, investigators identified the prime suspects as David Shaikh, 22, from Quinton and Tobias Williams, 20, from Oldbury.

On December 13, the pair were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary, with police seizing cash and car keys from an address associated with Shaikh.

Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and later admitted to the offences.

On April 7, at Birmingham Crown Court, Shaikh, of Faraday Avenue, was jailed for five years, and Williams, of Valentine Road, was jailed for four years and two months.

Detective Constable Lucy Locke, from the Major Crime Proactive Team, said: "This was a complex investigation which involved a lot of elements such as reviewing CCTV footage, ANPR data, forensic examinations and mobile phone work.

"We were able to link Shaikh and Williams to 17 offences of burglary and attempted burglary. The pair went on a three-month crime spree, stealing vehicles such as Audi, BMW and Ford Focus.

"Fortunately, we did manage to recover some of the vehicles stolen and were able to reunite them with their rightful owners.

"People have the right to feel safe and secure in their homes and Shaikh and Williams disregarded this, breaking into addresses to steal for criminality."