Four plead guilty to plotting to steal luxury vehicles including one belonging to Declan 'Dec' Donnelly

1 September 2021, 23:36 | Updated: 1 September 2021, 23:43

Four men have pleaded guilty to plotting to steal a number of luxury vehicles, including one that belonged to TV presenter Declan Donnelly.

The 45-year-old's black Range Rover was among around £750,000 worth of high-value vehicles targeted by the group.

Ellis Glynne, 29, Connor Murray, 21, Perry Ogle, 23, and Vinothkumar Ratnam, 37, all pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to steal the cars between January 1 and July 9 this year.

Police were called to The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here presenter's west London home in the early hours of April 6 but the alleged thieves fled empty handed before officers arrived.

Donnelly, his wife Ali, 43, and daughter Isla were reportedly asleep at the time of the attempted break-in and were unaware until they were later told by police.

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His co-presenter, Ant McPartlin, 45, used to live in the same road but moved out after his split from Lisa Armstrong.

In total 12 men have been charged with various offences relating to the planned burglaries.

Glynne and Ratnam, both from Surrey, and Murray and Ogle, both from Hounslow, west London, appeared in the dock at Kingston Crown Court alongside four others.

Alfie Chandler, 18, from Hounslow, who is also charged with conspiracy to steal the vehicles, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Tommy Hutchinson, 18, from Feltham, who is also charged with conspiracy to steal the vehicles, did not enter a plea.

Ryan Crafts, from Wokingham, Berkshire, and Charlie Kavanagh, from Ashford, Surrey, entered not guilty pleas at a hearing in August.

Glynne, Murray and a third man, Robert Green, 41, from Addlestone, Surrey, face a separate count of conspiracy to burgle over the attempted theft of an ATM from a Brentford convenience store between January 25 and February 7 last year.

All three denied the charges.

Glynne, Murray and Ogle also pleaded guilty to a second count of conspiracy to burgle, which they were charged with alongside Chandler and another man, Jack Foley, 24, from Surrey.

Both Chandler and Foley have denied the charge.

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The five men are alleged to have plotted to steal 11 electric bikes from Velospeed, in Thatcham, Berkshire, between June 14 and June 17 this year.

Tyler Smallworth, 20, from Hounslow, was further charged with theft of a van but previously denied the charge.

Edward Atkins, 34, also from Feltham, is due to be arraigned at a later date.

Judge Sarah Plaschkes QC set a trial date of January 4 next year.

She remanded Glynne and Murray in custody while the other defendants were released on bail ahead of a further hearing on October 15.