‘Workmen’ pair jailed for copper cable theft (From The Argus)

‘Workmen’ pair jailed for copper cable theft

8:40pm Tuesday 12th February 2013 in News

Two men have been jailed after posing as workmen to steal copper cable.

Daryl Carslake, 30, and Gavin Marriott, 28, were jailed for 16 months at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of theft of cabling belonging to British Telecom.

The men dressed as workmen on May 29, 2012, and visited Fernheath, near Heathfield.

They cut cable and BT engineers had to be called after 600 people lost power to their homes.

Officers who noticed the cable had been taken linked the offence to a similar one in Teddington on May 9.

The pair, both from Epsom, Surrey, were arrested.

Detective Chief Inspector Lee Hill, of the London Crime Squad, said: “Metal theft impacts upon the lives of tens of thousands of people every year with telecommunication being cut off, and trains and transport disrupted.”

Simon Davies, the BT general manager for cable theft, said: “This case highlights the often highly organised nature of metal theft by persons who are only concerned with maximising their proceeds from this crime.”

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