Burglar’s jail term cut on appeal

A member of an Oldham-based burglary gang which targeted scores of homes in Cheshire and Lancashire has had his sentence cut on appeal.

Peter Clarke (28) was one of three men who admitted taking a vast quantity of precious jewellery from homes during a four-month crime spree.

He admitted conspiracy to burgle homes in Lancashire and was jailed for four years and eight months at Burnley Crown Court in February.

But two senior judges at the Court of Appeal said the sentence was too long and cut it by a year.

Mr Justice Hickinbottom said the sentencing judge had intended that the father-of-three serve the same as accomplice James McMillan.

The court heard that the men targeted homes when they were unoccupied, stealing jewellery of high monetary and high-sentimental value.

They used a car with a false number plate as they trawled the two counties looking for empty properties in late 2013.

Their spree took them from Nelson and Fence in Lancashire, to Macclesfield, Wilmslow and Knutsford in Cheshire.

Clarke was caught first and jailed in January last year for two years and four months. He admitted two Cheshire burglaries and asked for 30 more to be taken into consideration.

His four-and-a-half year sentence for the Lancashire raids came later when his accomplices had also been caught.

Mr Justice Hickinbottom, sitting with Judge Alistair McCreath, said the effect of having two separate terms was that Clarke would serve longer than McMillan.

“The judge clearly intended to sentence McMillan and Clarke with parity,” he continued. “It didn’t have that effect.”

He quashed the sentence and imposed a sentence of three years and eight months, consecutive with the Cheshire term.

“Like McMillan, he will serve an aggregate sentence of six years for the totality of his offending,” he concluded.