Man Jailed After Nottinghamshire ATM Blown Up

11 April 2019, 15:41 | Updated: 11 April 2019, 15:53

A man has been jailed after a gas-powered tool was used to blow up a cash machine during a burglary in Balderton.

28-year-old George Buck - formerly of Tolney Lane, Newark - was locked up for seven years and four months having previously pleaded guilty to charges of causing an explosion and burglary.

It's after a red Audi RS3 - containing four men - pulled up outside Balderton Post Office in Main Street in the early hours of Saturday 2nd February.

A saw was used to cut through the metal shutter to the main front entrance and a gas-powered device was used to detonate the ATM door behind it.

Extensive damage was caused to the machine and the shop's interior. A quantity of cash was taken from the ATM before the offenders made off in the car.

Witnesses living in the area swiftly reported the incident to the police, providing descriptions of the car and offenders.

At about 4.20am in Castleford, West Yorkshire, police officers were made aware of a red Audi RS3 car and followed it.

The driver failed to stop and tried to escape police at excessive speeds - it then crashed and Buck was tracked into a nearby compound where he was arrested having hidden in a skip.

Speaking after Buck was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court, Detective Sergeant Craig Luckett, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "This a great sentence and one which I hope sends a clear message to those who think they can commit crime in Nottinghamshire and get away with it, that we will work tirelessly to identify them and bring them to justice.

"This crime had a significant impact on residents and business owners. The investigation is still very much active and we are working hard to identify those others involved in this incident and other similar type offences."

Buck was given a prison sentence of seven years and four months for the charge of causing an explosion. He received a five-year prison sentence, to be served concurrently, for burglary.