Alleged car thieves said to have targeted Declan Donnelly appear in court
Police were called out to the TV star’s west London home in the early hours of April 6.
An alleged ring of luxury car thieves, whose victims are said to have included Declan Donnelly, have appeared in court.
The 45-year-old TV star’s black Range Rover was allegedly among around £750,000 worth of high-value vehicles targeted by the group between January and June this year.
Police were called out to The I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here co-host’s west London home in the early hours of April 6, but the alleged thieves fled empty handed before officers arrived.
His co-presenter, Ant McPartlin, 45, used to live in the same road but moved out after his split from Lisa Armstrong.
Ellis Glynne, 29, Connor Murray, 21, Perry Ogle, 23, Ryan Crafts, 28, Vinothkumar Ratnam, 37, from Egham, Surrey, Charlie Kavanagh, 26, Tommy Hutchinson, 18, from Feltham, and Alfie Chandler, 18, appeared at London’s Kingston Crown Court on Friday.
They are charged with conspiracy to steal “luxury motor vehicles” between January 16 and July 9 this year.
Prosecutor Nicholas Dunham said: “This matter is listed for a PTPH (plea and trial preparation hearing) in relation to offences generally involving the theft of high value vehicles.”
Donnelly was among 12 alleged victims named in magistrates’ court charges over the alleged plot to steal cars, mainly Range Rovers, with a total value of around £750,000.
Crafts, from Wokingham, Berkshire, and Kavanagh, from Ashford, Surrey, entered not guilty pleas to the charge, while the other defendants are yet to be arraigned.
Glynne, from Camberley, Surrey, and Murray face a separate count of conspiracy to burgle over the attempted theft of an ATM from a Brentford convenience store between January 25 and February 7 last year.
Murray, from Hounslow, is further charged with theft of a van, along with Tyler Smallworth, 20, also from Hounslow, who also appeared in court on Friday to deny the charge.
A 10th man, Jack Foley, 24, from Egham, Surrey, denied conspiracy to burgle with Glynne, Murray, Ogle, from Hounslow, and Chandler, from Hounslow, who have not entered pleas.
The five men are alleged to have plotted to steal 11 electric bikes from Velospeed, in Thatcham, Berkshire between June 14 and June 17 this year.
Judge Sarah Plaschkes QC set a trial date of January 4 next year.
She remanded Glynne and Murray in custody, while the other defendants were released on bail ahead of a further plea hearing on September 1.
