How two men were sentenced after a Grantham cash machine heist was foiled

Police have described the events that led to two men who attempted to steal a cash machine from a Tesco store being jailed for three years.

Mohammed Khan, 36, of Great Hampton Street, Wolverhampton, and Kyle Maxwell, 29, of no fixed address, but with Birmingham links, pleaded guilty to burglary following a brazen attack on the ATM on Harrowby Lane, in Grantham.

At 1.15am on December 4 last year, the Lincolnshire Police Force Control Room received an emergency call reporting a group of men attempting to break into the store, prompting officer dispatch.

Maxwell was acting as a lookout while Khan was part of the group attempting the break-in when he spotted a marked police car.

He threw two bricks, damaging the car window and spraying officers with glass. However, the officers were unharmed.

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The suspects fled the scene in a high-performance black Audi estate, which had been reported stolen and had no plates, heading out of Grantham towards Corby Glen and the A1.

Police attempted to stop the vehicle on the A151 near Colsterworth, and more rocks were thrown at the officers before the vehicle made a u-turn and drove back along the A151 towards Corby Glen.

The stolen Audi collided with an oncoming specialist armed response vehicle a few miles away.

The police vehicle was rammed before the car lost control and ended up in a ditch. The car was being driven by a person who was not identified throughout the investigation.

Four suspects in the vehicle, which included Khan and Maxwell, made off on foot through a farmer’s field.

Khan was tracked by police dog, PD JoJo, through the field and was found in the river where he was arrested.

Maxwell escaped to Corby Glen village and hid in an unlocked vehicle.

Two hours later, CCTV footage captured him wearing one trainer and a plastic bag on his other foot.

He stole a Hyundai Tucson, which the owner was able to track as it headed on the A1 northbound and then onto the A52 towards Nottingham.

With live tracking data relayed, Nottinghamshire Police intercepted Maxwell in the stolen vehicle, returning him to Grantham custody.

He initially provided false details, but his identity was revealed following a fingerprint scanner at the scene.

Officers received updates through the Force Control Room dispatchers, coordinating efforts between forces.

CCTV footage examined by detectives showed the suspects arriving at the Tesco store in the stolen Audi RS6 estate with cloned number plates.

Using stolen cutting equipment from Mid & West Wales Fire Service, Khan attempted to access the ATM, causing over £20,000 in damage but failing to obtain any cash.

The life-saving equipment for the fire service was recovered from the boot of the stolen RS6.

The Hyundai Tucson sustained minor damage and was returned to its owner.

The investigation moved swiftly, resulting in Maxwell and Khan being charged, remanded into custody, and pleading guilty.

They were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on January 29.

Maxwell faced additional charges for theft, taking without consent, and criminal damage.

He received three months for theft and taking without consent, and two months for criminal damage, all concurrent.