Gang of thieves from South Yorkshire who called themselves 'A-Team' stole £150,000 worth of jewellery and cars

The four men from South Yorkshire stole over £150,000 worth of jewellery and cars within a month and posted videos gloating online.

The prosecutions follow an investigation by Wakefield District Crime Team (DCT) who were able to link the group to burglary offences in Wakefield, Goole, Pontefract, Hemsworth, Skellow, Doncaster, Huddersfield, Denby Dale, Barnsley, Thurnscoe, Woolley, Emley and Kirkburton.

The men appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, November 15 for sentencing after pleading guilty on the first day of a scheduled trial to committing burglary.

The group had been responsible for 21 burglary offences between February 4 and March 5.

The four men sentenced are:

• Diaz Watson Frederick, 18, formerly of Thurnscoe, Barnsley, was sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment.
• Kyle Snowball, 25, formerly of Darfield, Barnsley, was sentenced to seven years and seven months imprisonment.
• Connor Leigh Walker, 25, formerly of South Elmsall, was sentenced to eight years and nine months imprisonment.
• Billy Dennis Wright, 20, formerly of Darfield, Barnsley, was sentenced to four years and 11 months imprisonment.

Wright, Watson and Snowball were members of a Snapchat group chat called the ‘A-Team’. Whilst Walker wasn’t a member of the group chat, he was referenced within the group on several occasions.

Conversations in the chat included references to police cars and chases, changing vehicle registration plates, police activity in the area, selling stolen vehicles and jewellery and planning of offences throughout Yorkshire.

On February 21, a white Kia Sportage and an Audi were stolen in a burglary in the Doncaster area.

The Kia was subsequently used to commit further offences. On March 4, a police pursuit was authorised after the vehicle was seen leaving the scene of a burglary in the Woolley area of Wakefield.

All four defendants were in the Kia during the pursuit and were subsequently arrested. Jewellery which had been stolen in a burglary in Huddersfield was also found in the vehicle.

Detective Sergeant Lewis Hibbert, of Wakefield District Crime Team, said: “These men have been responsible for burglaries across Yorkshire, stealing jewellery and vehicles valued at over £150k.

“These were not spontaneous offences; they were organised by the group beforehand. They have bragged about their plans and shown little thought for the people whose properties they have targeted.

“House burglary is literally an invasion of a person’s home, and I know the concern it causes in our communities. I hope residents are reassured by the positive action that has been taken with these men now in prison for their crimes.”