Coventry man who stole £8,000 of school equipment jailed

A Coventry man has been sentenced to more than two years in jail for stealing £8,000 worth of school equipment, including iPads, and computer equipment.

Darren Reid was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail on 16 January following his conviction for stealing laptops and valuables from various different schools in Coventry.

Reid’s theft of more than £8,000 worth of equipment has caused significant disruptions to the education of schoolchildren in Coventry, according to West Midlands Police.

This spate of burglaries had a devastating impact on the resources available to our young pupils

Dave Mason, West Midlands Police

Reid pleaded guilty to burglary, handling stolen goods, and possession of a Class B drug during his trial in December last year. Reid was jailed for 32 months and was also given a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) until 2029.

The CBO bans him from being 50 metres in the proximity of any school in England and Wales, with an immediate return to prison if he is found breaching the order.

The West Midlands Police analysed hundreds of hours of CCTV as part of their investigation into the incident, which led to Reid’s arrest. He was found to have stolen six laptops, a machine used to check electrics, and three iPads.

Dave Mason, Partnerships Inspector for West Midlands Police, said: “This spate of burglaries had a devastating impact on the resources available to our young pupils. It has greatly impacted on school budgets, risking their ability to provide extracurricular activities for pupils.

“Thanks to the hard work of the officers investigating, we were able to build a case against Reid and see him quickly charged.”

Mason also warned people in the West Midlands not to purchase any iPads being sold at a heavily discounted price as these could be the stolen iPads from the incident.

He warned: “Selling these kind of items without proper documentation can be a sign of stolen goods, so don’t buy them if the seller can’t provide proof of purchase.”