The guy who stole about 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs and became known to authorities as the Easter Bunny was sentenced to 18 months in jail.
On 11 February, 32-year-old Joby Pool broke into a Telford, United Kingdom, industrial facility and stole about $40,000 of chocolate Easter eggs. He drove away in the stolen truck. Prosecutor Owen Beale said that Pool had used a metal grinder to break into a Stafford Park, Telford-based industrial facility belonging to SW Group Logistics. Pool then towed away the trailer holding the crème eggs.
On Thursday in Shrewsbury crown court, Judge Anthony Lowe handed Pool an 18-month prison term. The penalty consists of a half-time jail term and a half-time license period. His nine-month sentence will include the six months he has served in jail.
According to Beale, the police pulled Pool over in October as he drove north on the M42 in a car reported stolen in the Yorkshire region. Near exit 11, he proceeded toward law enforcement while raising his hands.
Since he brought along a tractor unit and had to be aware that the load was there, to begin with, Beale concluded that this offense was not committed on the spur of the moment.
According to Judge Lowe, he doubts that Pool acted alone in plotting the heist.
Beale said there is no doubt that this involves a criminal organization. It’s hardly a fluke that a trailer worth a lot of money just so happens to be up for grabs. He said there was a lot of planning involved in what happened. He speculated that the trailer was located thanks to prior knowledge or a reconnaissance mission.
After around 200,000 Creme Eggs were reported stolen from a facility at Stafford Park in Telford, the West Mercia police came to the rescue.
West Mercia police tweeted about the “eggs-travagant” theft of the chocolate donation box shortly after his detention.
Tingley resident Pool had previously admitted to stealing from a store, breaking a lock at a trailer park, and driving without insurance.
