mugshots

An organised criminal gang that stole around £11,500 of fuel from company cards belonging to a Stobart Group business have been sentenced.

Cleaner Chelsea Davies, who worked for Stobart Energy Group – now called Esken Renewables – stole seven of the company’s fuel cards in early 2020 and they were then passed on to her brother, father and five other men, who conspired to use them to purchase fuel across Merseyside and Cheshire.

Police said the gang bought an estimated 8,943 litres of fuel, costing the company £11,444, but the men were identified after an investigation led to the review of CCTV footage at numerous fuel stations.

According to Cheshire constabulary, the men were seen filling up “an array of vehicles”, as well as fuel tanks ranging from 25 litres to 1,000 litres.

All eight were arrested in June 2020 and subsequently charged.

Bradley Davies was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment; Adam Edge was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment; Jason Edge was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment; Andrew Batterton was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment; Daniel Cosgrove was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment; and Ashley Hughes was sentenced to 30 months.

All six men have also been given a criminal behaviour order (CBO) which will be in place for five years and came into force this week.

The two remaining defendants were sentenced in March; Chelsea Davies was sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months for theft by an employee and Edward Davies was sentenced to 14 months suspended for two years.