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Walsall thief jailed after being caught with jewels in his boxers

Two men have been found guilty of ripping necklaces from women in the streets.

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Wolverhampton Crown Court

Joshua Bluck, aged 25 of Peolsford Road, Pelsall, Walsall was found guilty of the robberies today at Wolverhampton Crown Court after being caught by police with the jewellery hidden in his boxers.

Cameron Ball, aged 18, of no fixed abode, fled the scene before officers could catch him but he was caught on the police car’s camera and later arrested.

He pleaded guilty to the same offences at an earlier hearing and both of them have been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on January 2018.

One of the necklaces worth £460 was stolen from a 56-year-old woman on her lunch break in Lichfield. Another worth £100 was stolen from a 77-year-old woman who was walking on her own in Burntwood and another of unknown value was stolen from a 70-year-old woman on a mobility scooter in Norton Canes, near Cannock.

Mr Bluck drove was behind the wheel of an blue Audi A3 with Mr Ball as the passenger as they committed these offences and three others offences, and three in Walsall along with three others on the same day on September 29 in Walsall.

Officers from Staffordshire Police and West Midlands Police worked together to bring the men to justice.

Detective constable Paul Sims, of Staffordshire Police, said: “These were serious offences committed against lone women in broad daylight. Ball approached these women from behind and ripped off their necklaces.

“We’re glad that these men will now be sentenced for these crimes.”

Detective constable Steve White, from West Midlands Police, said: “These were nasty offences on vulnerable victims, but we were able to capture the offenders within a short space of time.

“Good collaboration between ourselves and Staffordshire Police allowed us to locate the offenders within an hour of the last robbery and recover all of the jewellery.”