Axe-wielding burglars jailed after shop raids
Two men who carried out a series of shop burglaries in Ashington, using an axe to steal alcohol and a till, have been jailed.
Daniel Clerkson, 32, and David Chivers, 35, targeted multiple businesses between May 28 and June 11. Clerkson first broke into a store on Moorhouse Lane three times in a week, stealing alcohol and over £100 in laundry products. He then struck again on Remscheid Way, taking nearly £300 worth of drink.
On June 7, Chivers joined Clerkson and they returned to Moorhouse Lane, smashing a window and using an axe to steal a till and more alcohol. Days later, they teamed up with Sam York for another raid, but police arrested Clerkson and Chivers within the hour after a suspicious vehicle was reported nearby.
At Newcastle Crown Court, Clerkson was jailed for three years for five burglaries. Chivers received 18 months for two offences. York, 36, was handed a six-month suspended sentence last month.
Northumbria Police said the case shows how vital public reports of suspicious activity can be.
