A man who “lost his head” was jailed for his involvement in a high-quality car robbery gang that stole a limited edition Audi, BMW and Fiat in a series of break-ins.
Elliot Foster, 24, handled six stolen cars, believed to be worth around £ 84,000 in total, and posted them for sale on social media.
But Foster was caught after police found photos of the stolen keys and a video of himself driving one of the stolen cars.
He worked with the former refugee Cody Lowndes, 22, who triggered a huge manhunt after his escape from custody.
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Lowndes, who was detained for six years and two months last December, was arrested for these crimes but then escaped police custody during a hospital visit.
Lowndes wasn’t arrested until 10 days later after mocking the police in an Instagram video.
Cody Lowndes
(Image: MEN Media)
Stalybridge’s Foster pleaded guilty to seven offenses of handling stolen goods and two separate, unrelated offenses – criminal damage and sending malicious messages.
He was jailed for four years and nine months this week.
Series of vehicle break-ins
Prosecutor Paul Dockery told the court that a number of vehicles had been stolen from homes across Tameside within a week.
The first car, an Audi A6 valued at £ 11,000, was stolen from a house in Ashton-under-Lyne in an early morning break on July 29, 2020.
While neither Foster nor Lowndes were involved in the break-ins, monitoring their phones showed they were in the same area at the same time, he said.
“The stolen vehicle was picked up at Lowndes in the early hours of the morning for resale after posting on social media about the stolen car,” Dockery said.
The second vehicle stolen was a £ 2,000 Hyundai.
“An 89-year-old man and his wife lived in a house in Denton, went to bed at 11 pm, and at 2:45 am he noticed a light coming on below,” the prosecutor continued.
“He found that the back door had been broken into and the kitchen drawer searched.”
In a statement, the older man said he felt “isolated” and felt that he had “lost his freedom and independence”.
The case was heard in the Stockport Magistrates’ Court, which currently serves as the Nightingale Court
(Image: MEN)
In the next few days, a £ 15,000 BMW, £ 10,000 Fiat Abarth and an Audi SQ7 were stolen from homes in Mottram, Denton and Clayton.
Photos of the vehicle keys were found on Foster’s phone, as well as a video of him turning hand brakes in a Hyundai with Lowndes on the vehicle.
A Honda motorcycle was also stolen from Stalybridge on July 6th last year. The heavy padlock had one of its chain links broken and other locks broken.
The £ 1,000 worth of bike was later salvaged, but it took £ 700 to repair the damage caused during the theft.
After an investigation into Foster’s phone, photos of him were discovered sitting on and driving the motorcycle.
Of the six stolen vehicles, only three were recovered.
Separate fees
Foster was also charged in connection with a second incident in which he repeatedly called a woman and her new partner and sent threatening messages.
Then he drove to her house and threw two bricks at the man’s Ford Focus, smashed a window and damaged the door.
Foster sent the woman repeated messages threatening to return to her house.
“Lost his head”
Foster is said to have had 36 previous convictions for 62 offenses, including theft, robbery, heavy vehicle haulage and possession of a firearm.
To mitigate this, Isobel Thomas said: “Mr Foster tells me he regrets being involved in the crime, he understands the role he played in the crime and the impact his role has had on the victims.
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“He asked for the opportunity to meet all of the victims and apologize personally to them, but I stated that this was unlikely and I think the remorse he is showing is real.
“He tells me that he ‘lost his head’ after losing custody of his son, who is now four years old.
“He was taking cocaine and got into a downward spiral and wasn’t thinking right.”
She added that he did not want to use his past “as an excuse” and that he “grew up with crime for his life” with nothing else.
Speaking of the verdict, Judge John Potter said, “Your acquisition of these vehicles affects the whole case and sometimes suggests that after prior investigation they were stolen to order.
“This was a professional criminal activity in which you played a central role – your role was to obtain high quality vehicles for resale, undoubtedly for profitable profits.
“In total, the vehicles were worth over £ 84,000. You stepped into this criminal enterprise in the expectation of making significant personal income gains.
“The victims experienced considerable inconvenience, and all victims found it difficult to continue their lives without using their vehicles.”
Foster, from Booth Close, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.
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