Chilean burglars travelled to the UK and raided luxury homes

Gang of balaclava-clad Chilean burglars who travelled 7,500 miles to the UK on tourist visas then stole just £60 while raiding luxury mansions in Cheshire’s Golden Triangle before leading police on 115mph motorway chase are jailed

• The men targeted homes in Wilmslow and Alderley Edge in a burglary spree

A three man gang of Chilean burglars who entered the UK on tourist visas raided homes in a wealthy enclave favoured by soccer stars, a court has heard.

The balaclava-clad trio travelled 7,500 miles from their homes to burgle mansions in Wilmslow and Alderley Edge in Cheshire’s so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ – but ended up getting away with only £60.

The group’s efforts to get ‘easy money’ were foiled after they were caught fleeing the seen of an attempted break in before leading police on an ‘incredibly dangerous’ 115mph motorway chase.

The pursuit, which lasted nearly 30 miles on the M40, saw one of the gang trying in vain to escape by leaping from the still-moving getaway vehicle in the fast lane, before jumping over the central reservation into the path of oncoming traffic.

But Hector Paredes-Munoz, 39, his brother Victor, 31, and Sergio Sephulveda Castro, 27, were unable to escape and on Friday all three were put behind bars.

Sergio Castro was jailed for three years after admitting to conspiracy to burgle two properties in Cheshire

Brothers Hector-Paredes-Munoz (left) and Victor Paredes-Munoz (right) were also jailed for three years conspiracy to burgle. Victor was given an additional year behind bars for dangerous driving

Police said the gang arrived in the UK towards the end of 2022 and early 2023, after travelling from elsewhere in Europe. They later set up a base in the south of England with what officers said was the ‘sole aim’ of committing burglaries at high-value homes across the UK. 

Prosecutor Patrick Gartland told Chester Crown Court that on March 31 this year, a resident in Broadwalk, Wilmslow noticed two men wearing balaclavas in his garden and the alarm at his next door neighbour’s house was going off.

READ MORE HERE:  Chilean burglars that have terrorised the Home Counties for years are now flying into Britain with a new target – Cheshire’s wealthy footballer belt

He alerted the police who contacted the occupier who was eight months pregnant and had moved into the house only the day before. She was not at home at the time.

She returned five minutes later and found that the window of a rear patio door had been forced and £60 stolen from her bag in the kitchen.

The following day a resident in West Bank, in nearby Alderley Edge reported a masked man inside his house who quickly fled after being discovered.

Sabrina Worsley, 18, who was housesitting while her father was on holiday, had been in the lounge watching television had heard two male voices. One man had climbed the stairs and the other had opened the door into the lounge before all burglars ran away.

Nothing was stolen and minutes later the three men, who were ‘acting furtively’ were caught on local authority CCTV driving off in a black Peugeot which had been parked only five minutes walk away.

The court was told the occupier of the first home later installed £1,000 worth of security equipment at her home – whilst Ms Worsley so traumatised, her father cut short his holiday to be with her. 

Mr Gartland said: ‘Sabrina recalls feeling numb with shock and disbelief at the time of the offence and stated: ‘I should be allowed to feel safe in my own home’.’

Mr Gartland said the following day, the Peugeot was spotted by police on the M40 in Oxfordshire and pursued by police at speeds of up to 115mph in a 29.5-mile stretch between junctions nine and four.

The car refused all instructions by the police car to stop until it suddenly braked to a halt in the outside lane and five men jumped out of the car and ran across the opposite carriageway, narrowly dodging the traffic.

The three accused were detained by police but the remaining two made their escape as the motorway was closed.

The burglars were spotted on CCTV walking through the back garden of a luxury property in Cheshire’s Golden Triangle

Two of the group were seen leaving a property and getting into a vehicle which was waiting outside

Mr Gartland said: ‘The boot of the vehicle was searched and officers seized a balaclava, tools, footwear, and a maroon hat, identifiable from the CCTV taken the day before. All defendants were interviewed and denied any involvement in the burglaries.’ 

Edmund Potts, counsel for Paredes-Munoz brothers, said: ‘They to express through me how ashamed and remorseful they are and they know they caused significant distress to the victims. It was not their intention, but of course they are fully responsible and regret it very much.

‘Hector entered on a tourist visa initially and was trying to get work. He was having difficulty doing so. He received news from Chile that his mother became ill and his partner discovered she was pregnant. He was running out of money. He certainly had no intention of breaking the law. He accepts that is no excuse. Victor was doing cleaning work here and there but again, it was very difficult.

‘He has a partner, they have been together for three years. They had two children but they passed away at a young age. His son, as referred to in his letter, is now five years old. He has a heart murmur and is awaiting surgery. ‘It is a matter of considerable distress to Victor that he is not able to return to Chile in the immediate future.

Sarah Badrawy, for Castro, said: ‘He entered the country in January on a tourist visa. He was hoping to find work, hoping to find stability and accommodation to move his young family here. He is married and has a daughter who is almost three.

‘He says that he had been staying at a hotel but moved into an Airbnb where his belongings were stolen. He was left with next to nothing. In the two weeks prior to the offence, he was living on the streets.

‘He expressed his remorse for the impact of his offending on the victims and also the impact on his young family. He knows that his actions have kept him from them longer than he ought to have. His daughter is unwell. He knows it has to be a sentence of custody and he hopes to get back as quickly as he possibly can.’

Police were able to identify the Peugeot the gang got into after finding it on council CCTV

The car was spotted by police the next day, and when they tried to pull it over, the driver began a 29.5-mile pursuit down the M40 which culminated with those inside jumping out and trying to run away

Judge Michael Leeming said the police pursuit on the M40 had been at ‘an eye watering’ 115mph and had ended in ‘an incredibly dangerous manoeuvre’.

He said that the driving ‘fell far short’ of the requisite standard for a motorway and put the lives of the occupants, other motorists and police at risk.

The judge said the burglaries had ‘significant’ planning because a car had been rented and tools as well as balaclavas had been bought to facilitate the breaking into houses.

All three men were sentenced on Friday for three years after admitting conspiracy to burgle.

Victor Paredes-Munoz was given a further one year sentence to run consecutively and banned from driving for four years after admitting dangerous driving.

Following the sentencing PC Kieran Marsh, of Cheshire Police said: ‘These men were all members of an organised crime gang who came to the UK with the sole purpose of committing crime. Their crimes were carefully planned, specifically targeting high-value addresses with the aim of stealing as many valuable items as possible before fleeing the area, leaving the country and evading justice.

‘While in these two cases the gang only managed a nominal amount if money, the impact of their crime spree should not be underestimated. To know that somebody has targeted your home – a place you should feel safe in, is sickening. The thought of your home being broken into, your property being rifled through and personal possessions being stolen can be traumatic.

Det Sgt Stephen Joyce, of Macclesfield CID, added: ‘I hope that this case acts as a warning to anyone who is planning on travelling to Cheshire to commit crimes. Our message to them is clear, don’t make a wasted journey.’

Source: Read Full Article