Police chased stolen Audi around Staffordshire at 110mph

A gang of professional burglars who raided an Audi dealer to steal a high-powered Quattro car were chased around Staffordshire at speeds of up to 110mph, a court has heard.

The team cut through metal bollards with an angle grinder, smashed a large glass window to get in, forced open a safe and took the keys to the Quattro from the Stafford dealership.

Some of the gang escaped in a VW Golf GTi, stolen in Wolverhampton and fitted with false number plates for the purpose of carrying out the raid, Nick Burn, prosecuting, told Stafford crown court.

Police picked up their trail and called in a helicopter to help track them down. The intermittent pursuit went from Stafford to Sandon, on to Tamworth and back to Lichfield at speeds of up to 110-mph before the Golf was found abandoned in Hopwas.

A manhunt continued around the area and one of the gang, Simon Phillips, was found hiding under a van in Hints. He was dressed in black and a black mask was recovered nearby.

Phillips, aged 32, of Hullbrook Road, Birmingham, was jailed for a total of three- and-a-half years after admitting charges of burglary of the Audi dealers, theft of the Quattro, allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle which was driven dangerously and skipping bail.

Judge Simon Tonking told him: "There is no evidence to show you were the person who set this professional burglary up.

"You joined this team either on the day or close to it, but the fact is once involved you were fully involved.

"The VW, itself worth £15,500, had been taken, the number plates changed and it was used as a disguised vehicle to get you and the rest of the team to Stafford Audi. You were the one who cut through the bollard."

Along with the jail sentence, Phillips was also banned from driving for three years. The court heard he had 18 previous convictions for burglary and 30 for vehicle offences.

While on bail awaiting sentence, Phillips disappeared for several months before being arrested in Blackpool.

"You were only found when you had gone for a night out in Blackpool," said Judge Tonking.

Mr Burn said the Quattro, which had a personalised number plate, was found abandoned in Alrewas on the night of the raid, June 19 last year. The Golf was stolen in Wolverhampton on June 4.

Earl Pinnock, defending, said it had been six years since Phillips had committed an offence.

"He is a foolish 32-year-old who lapsed on this day out of financial reasons."