Man jailed after DNA linked him to supermarket attempted ram raid

A man has been sentenced after DNA found on a tissue and inside an abandoned van linked him to an attempted ram raid at a supermarket.

Jack Bradley, aged 25 and of HMP Hewell, was sentenced to two years in prison after previously pleading guilty to burglary other than dwelling with intent to steal.

The court heard how Bradley was one of a group of men who had used a 4x4 vehicle in an attempt to force entry to Tesco Superstore on Church Road in Bishops Cleeve during the early hours of Wednesday 6 December 2023.

CCTV footage showed the group clearing the foyer of items such as Christmas wreaths, display shelves and baskets before a Mercedes 4x4 was reversed into metal shutters in an attempt to access the main supermarket.

There were members of staff working inside the premises at the time of the incident.

The group did not steal anything, however the cost to repair the damage was just under £80,000, and the store was required to close for the day. It is believed that the supermarket lost £120,000 in potential sales and staff pay as a result.

Bradley became a suspect for the attempted ram raid after his DNA was found on a tissue which had been left behind in the car park of the supermarket. 

The Renault transit van he drove to the scene in was reported abandoned hours later and found to have been stolen. The van was forensically examined and Bradley's DNA was found on the steering wheel, gear stick, handbrake, a vape and screwdriver found inside.

Bradley, who was already in prison following a previous conviction, was visited by officers and during an interview in February 2024, admitted that he was planning to leave with a safe if the ram raid had been successful.

He was subsequently charged in connection with the incident and pleaded guilty during a hearing on 9 October 2024.

In mitigation Bradley's lawyer argued that he had a drug addiction and was an unwilling participant in the ram raid. It was stated that he had been recruited to take part by people he was afraid of.

Bradley appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday afternoon (12 November) where he was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £187.

The sentence is due to run concurrently to a sentence he is currently serving for burglary offences after he was jailed in April for three years.

Investigating officer PC Hancock from the Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Vanguard team said: "I am pleased that Bradley has been sentenced as his actions on 6 December last year had a huge impact on those involved.

"It affected the community of Bishop's Cleeve as well as Tesco and its employees. This would've been a very frightening experience for the members of staff who were in the building at the time of the attempted ram raid."

Tesco attempted ram raid CCTV footage.mp4