Two brazen thieves who stole £250,000 worth of cars from driveways before posing for snaps with the luxury motors have been jailed.
David Shaikh, 22, and Tobias Williams, 20, stole 15 cars – including BMWs and Audis – from outside people’s homes during a three-month crime spree.
The majority of burglaries, which took place between September 5 and December 10, 2022, were committed overnight while the victims were asleep.
On each raid the crooks snapped the lock on the front or rear doors and stole car keys from inside the property.
Shaikh and Williams were so brazen they even posed for selfies standing in front of two of the stolen cars.
The pair targeted high value motors on driveways across the Dudley and Sandwell area of the West Midlands.
They struck first at 1.50am on September 5 when they stole a white Audi A3 from outside a house in Halesowen.
CCTV footage shows one of them forcing open the front door to steal the keys before driving away in the car in seconds.
David Shaikh, 22, (left) and Tobias Williams, 20, (right) have been jailed after they stole 15 cars – including BMWs and Audis – from outside people’s homes during a three-month crime spree
Shaikh seen on CCTV during spate of car thefts. The majority of burglaries, which took place between September 5 and December 10, 2022, were committed overnight while the victims were asleep
The pair targeted high value motors on driveways across the Dudley and Sandwell area of the West Midlands (pictured)
They struck first at 1.50am on September 5 when they stole a white Audi A3 from outside a house in Halesowen
The stolen Audi was then used in two more burglaries and two attempted burglaries in Halesowen, and an attempted burglary in Dudley.
The Audi was found by officers parked in garages on Apperley Way, Cradley displaying false number plates.
Police investigators identified Shaikh and Williams as prime suspects.
Through CCTV, ANPR data and forensics, detectives were able to link them to a string of other burglaries in the Black Country.
They were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and officers swooped on a number of properties connected to Shaikh.
Police seized cash and car keys which were programmed to vehicles stolen during the burglaries.
Shaikh and Williams admitted conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal motor vehicles when they appeared at Birmingham Crown Court.
Shaikh, of Quinton in Birmingham, was jailed for five years while Williams, of Oldbury, was sentenced to four years and two months in prison.
Shaikh (pictured) and Williams were so brazen they even posed for selfies standing in front of two of the stolen cars.
Tobias Williams in front of a stolen car
Police seized cash and car keys which were programmed to vehicles stolen during the burglaries
Detective Constable Lucy Locke, of 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.’
