Northampton trio set to be sentenced after string of planned rural thefts amounting to £180,000

A trio of men from Northampton will be sentenced after a string of rural thefts across the county.

Leroy Paul Lovatt, aged 44, previously of Holyrood Road, Northampton, Mark Daniel Rogers, aged 36, of no fixed abode and Richard Whiteoak, aged 33, previously of Fitzsewin Court, Northampton all faced trial at Northampton Crown Court. All three were initially charged conspiracy to steal, following a spare of incidents in 2019 and 2020.

Lovatt and Rogers were found guilty by a jury following an 11-day trial, which ended on June 26. Whiteoak entered a guilty plea mid-trial to the offence of handling stolen goods, which was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The trio committed several thefts at Whilton Locks, Fawsley, Flore, Milton Malsor, Harlestone, Hanging Houghton, Pitsford, Winwick, Chapel Brampton, Barton Seagrave, and central Northampton, targeting rural communities and building sites where they stole plant machinery, tools, and trailers.

During this period, Whiteoak admitted to handling a stolen Ford Ranger vehicle, which had been taken from a farmer’s field.

Northampotonshire Police says evidence uncovered during the investigation showed that Lovatt and Rogers had planned these offences meticulously, showing the organised nature of their criminal enterprise, and in total, the goods they stole were worth approximately £180,000.

Lead Investigator – PC Mark Edkins said: “This investigation was long and complex, and it required a real team effort to bring the case to court.

“The guilty verdict is pleasing to see and hopefully this will provide reassurance to rural communities that we take your crimes seriously.

“This is a great result for the people of Northamptonshire as it means that there are three less thieves looking to steal people’s hard earned possessions.

“This case highlights our continued commitment to tackle theft related offences and it reiterates the message to thieves – your actions will not be tolerated, and we will pursue offenders relentlessly.

“It is also a timely reminder for the public to review their security particularly at rural locations and to consider installing CCTV and documenting serial numbers of plant vehicles/tools.”

All three men are due to be sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on September 15, 2023.