Lemons who raided fruit machines then took selfies are put behind (three) bars

The men roamed the UK breaking into gambling machines and were caught with more than a thousand £1 coins in their car.

Twenty-four-year-old Daniel Mervin William Hutchinson of Skegness, Lincs and Benjamin James Robinson, 29, also from Skegness were sentenced at Bradford Crown Court today. Robinson was jailed for 32 months, while his accomplice Hutchinson received a six-month sentence, suspended for two years.

They took balaclavas with them to disguise themselves during theft sprees – but came unstuck after they decided to photograph themselves celebrating, posing and grinning after pocketing the cash.

Det Chief Insp Matt Walker, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “We knew we hit the jackpot when we investigated these lemons.”

The men were stopped at around midnight on June 27, 2014 while travelling on the A65 at Gargrave near Skipton by officer working on Operation Hawk – North Yorkshire Police’s operation to target cross-border criminals using the force’s road network.

Their car initially failed to stop for officers, who had spotted it driving at speed.

Police searched the white Vauxhall Insignia they were travelling in, and found more than a thousand £1 coins in their car, £2,000 in notes, balaclavas and a screw driver. They pleaded guilty conspiracy to steal offence at Bradford Crown Court on November 23, 2015.

DCI Walker added: “These offenders carried out a string of crimes with no thought for the businesses they were targeting – but ultimately their greed, arrogance and affinity for ‘selfies’ proved to be their downfall.

“We’re pleased that our operation to target cross-border criminals continues to disrupt the activities of offenders such as Hutchinson and Robinson.

He said investigations showed they were targeting fruit machines around the country.