Gang stole £600k of Land Rover Defenders for 'chop shop'

A gang who stole 33 Land Rover Defenders worth more than £600,000 in just eight months have been jailed.

The four men targeted vehicles across six police force areas between September 2024 and May 2025, including in Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Powys.

All four pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal vehicles and were sentenced at Hereford Crown Court on Friday.

West Mercia Police said the Defenders were stolen from locations including Malvern, Bromyard, Droitwich, Leominster, Tenbury Wells, Suckley, Kingsland and Storridge.

Other thefts took place in Gloucestershire, Bath, Powys, Sussex, Devon and Cornwall.

West Mercia Police launched Operation Liondale following Butler's arrest in November 2025.

Officers said distinctive clothing, seen on CCTV as the offences were committed, was found in Butler's caravan.

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Leonard Hodgkins, 50, of Marlborough Gardens, Malvern, was jailed for four years and nine months.

Jimmy Butler, 42, of Waterside Park, Offerton Lane, Worcester, was sentenced to four years, one month and six days, while Benjamin Hobbs, 36, of Beesmoor Road, Bristol, was jailed for four years and eight months.

David Hodgkins, 41, of The Furlong, Powick, was sentenced to three years.

His co-conspirators were arrested on 11 November 2025, with police saying mobile phone evidence showed the gang travelled in convoy with the stolen vehicles.

Hobbs owned a workshop in Bristol which police said was being used as a "chop shop", where stolen vehicles were dismantled for parts.

Parts from the stolen Land Rovers were discovered there, with some identified by their owners and others confirmed using keys concealed in the vehicles.

Police said automatic number plate recognition cameras and phone evidence also linked members of the gang to the stolen vehicles.

Detective Sergeant Mark Jones, of Hereford CID, said: "We know it often seems like car thieves get away with it, but we hope this result shows we will always work hard to bring these offenders before the courts and try to halt the impact their actions have on our communities."

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