Thieves who stole a defibrillator and caused thousands of pounds’ worth of damage to an Accrington dental practice are jailed
Thieves who stole a defibrillator and caused more than £10,000 worth of damage to a dental practice in Accrington, have been jailed. The two men were caught breaking into the practice on Argyle Street by a passing police officer in December 2017.
Nathan James Walker and Wayne Nix, his father-in-law, were found guilty in court in Preston after Mr Walker was detained at the scene and Mr Nix was found nearby clutching a bag containing stolen goods. Items included a defibrillator, tooth whitening kits, electric toothbrushes, dental resin and £80 in cash. As well as stealing from the practice, the pair also caused around £11,000 pounds’ worth of damage to the building and equipment found inside, leaving the owner of the surgery with significant costs to cover.
Anthony Longworth, prosecuting, explained that a passing officer had interrupted the pair and alerted other officers who arrived at the scene shortly afterwards.
Both men pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and were jailed for 20 months. Mr Walker was on licence at the time and has already been charged with several offences and Mr Nix has 130 previous convictions.
David Swinnerton, recorder, said that the men caused severe disruption for patients, left the owner out of pocket and stole equipment that could potentially have prevented dentists from saving lives.
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