The gang waited outside takeaways and installed tracking devices on cars.

The gang would hang out outside eateries, restaurants and shops to attach tracking devices to owners’ cars and then break into their homes.

Stuart Devany was part of a complex plot that saw tens of thousands of pounds of jewellery and cash stolen in a series of burglaries across the South Liverpool suburb. When police knocked on his door he bluffed: “I don’t do burglaries” – before launching into a 16-word tirade from the dock as he sat locked up today.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday that the 59-year-old was involved in a “sophisticated, carefully planned and well-executed plot” in which six homes were attacked on two dates in September and October last year. Devany, of Chorley’s Lane, Widnes, and his accomplices were said to have “deliberately targeted members of the Asian community who had a reputation for keeping large amounts of cash and valuable jewellery in their homes”.

READ MORE: Suspects burn designer clothes and try to flee to France in truck after stabbing

READ MORE: Pervert Who Recorded Men Using Public Toilets Was Caught Because of His Snapchat

Philip Astbury, prosecuting, described how the organised crime group identified their victims by fitting tracking devices to the vehicles of restaurant, bar and shop owners – revealing their home addresses. Once inside the property, the gang would “ignore” high-value items such as iPads, iPhones and televisions in favour of their intended loot, having already “established a sales point” for their stolen jewellery in the Doncaster area.

The first series of burglaries took place on 19 September 2023 and began with a break-in to a property on Muirfield Road in Huyton at around 2.30pm via a rear patio door. The homeowner returned shortly afterwards to discover £3,750 in cash had been stolen from her address, as well as more than £6,000 of gold jewellery.

The burglars then went straight to a house in the Wavertree area of ​​Queens Drive, arriving just before 2.45pm. Three men dressed in dark clothes and with their faces covered were captured on CCTV climbing over the side wall before crashing through a kitchen window. The couple, who live there with their two children, returned at around 11pm to find muddy footprints running through their home and about £5,900 cash missing, including several hundred pounds of their baby son’s birthday money.

The criminals ended their day of dishonest work by targeting a house in Greenhill Road, Allerton, at around 4pm, smashing a patio window to get in. They then made off with £5,300 in cash hidden in bedrooms, as well as gold jewellery worth a total of £25,000.

The next three raids took place on October 5, when four men were spotted climbing into the back garden of a house on Isleham Close in Allerton at around 8.30pm. The residents had been out with family that evening when neighbours alerted them to a burglar alarm and they returned to find a window at the back of the house had been forced open.

The intruders were found to have left coffee scattered around the kitchen and taken £300 in cash. However, the homeowners “did not keep expensive jewellery or large amounts of cash” at the address, giving the burglars a relatively small reward this time.

However, undeterred, they continued on to Lyndhurst Avenue in Mossley Hill. The occupant had gone to bed about half an hour earlier but heard banging on her bedroom window before finding a masked man in dark clothing standing opposite her at the top of a ladder.

The burglars eventually tried to break into a house on Redwing Way in Halewood, where the 16-year-old boy was home alone with his younger sister. The teenager also heard banging in their garden and looked outside to see two figures dressed in black, who eventually left empty-handed after seeing the teenager inside.

A “careful investigation”, with officers combing through hours of CCTV footage, revealed a Vauxhall Vivaro van was used to transport the conspirators between crime scenes. It later emerged the vehicle had been stolen during an earlier burglary on August 2 and was being driven with false number plates.

The van was parked in Guest Street, Widnes, on the evening after the first series of burglaries, while Devany was captured on camera filling it up at a petrol station on Warrington Road in the Cheshire town and buying a can of fizzy drink shortly before the second stage of the crime wave. The getaway vehicle was then located in the Rochdale area at around 10.30pm that same day – which Mr Astbury said was “probably after two close escapes” meant the burglars “had to keep some distance between themselves and the van” – and the defendant was captured on CCTV at a nearby Tesco Express around the same time.

His DNA was found on the steering wheel and gear stick, as well as on an empty Red Bull can found inside. Devany was arrested at his home on February 29 this year.

During questioning, he told detectives “I don’t do burglaries”, but later claimed he was “used as a slave” and “blamed a man from the travelling community” for whom he had apparently once cleaned a van in exchange for methadone. However, he later revealed further details of the operation, describing how the gang operated as a five- or six-person team and “targeted members of the Pakistani and Chinese communities” by placing tracking devices when their vehicles were parked outside their businesses.

Meanwhile, Devany described how they used walkie-talkies instead of mobile phones and “disposed” of jewellery through contacts in South Yorkshire. When confronted with CCTV footage, he agreed to visit the petrol station and Rochdale in a van, and admitted burning his and his colleagues’ clothes.

He has 51 previous convictions for 119 offences dating back to 1985, including several for burglary. Olivia Beesley, defending, told the court: “Mr Devany has had a troubled past.

“When he was just 17, he lost a child. His partner committed suicide by jumping off Runcorn Bridge.

“He tells me his life got worse after that. He was offered heroin and very quickly became addicted.

“A large part of his crimes involve dishonesty and theft, which go hand in hand with his struggle with addiction. There is a gap in his crimes.

“He tells me he got into roofing and liked it, but he’s back to crime. He tells me he’s too old for that kind of lifestyle.

“He has made good use of his time in custody. For the first time he is learning to read and write and is proud of it.

“He tells me he enjoys working in the jail. It’s the first time he’s enjoyed his job since he was a landscape gardener.

“He hopes that Your Majesty will see some remorse in this. He sees the suffering he has caused.”

Devany pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary. Wearing a blue Nike T-shirt, he was sentenced to six years and five months in prison.

Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: “You were an integral member of what was, by any standard, a highly organised gang who carried out a series of house burglaries in a professional and clinical manner. The offences were well planned.

“You pre-emptively targeted members of the Asian community, believing they would be in possession of large amounts of high-value jewelry as well as cash. You conducted surveillance of local restaurants and stores and then placed tracking devices on their vehicles.

“Once you’ve entered the property, you’ve caused extensive damage – if not ransacking it, in some cases. I’m not going to give a lecture on the potential impact of break-ins on homeowners.

“I have no doubt that other judges have done this in the past and it clearly didn’t make much difference. In some cases, the occupiers were present and concerned about the gang’s presence.

“This included a 16-year-old boy who was faced with the image of intruders dressed entirely in black. How terrifying.”

As he was led to the cells, Devany said, “How the hell do travelers get away with this? This is your job, not mine. For God’s sake.”

Merseyside Police Inspector Kevin O’Rourke said after the verdict: “Devany was a uniquely callous burglar who deliberately targeted the homes of individuals and families he suspected had valuable jewellery. We quickly identified the van used in all six burglaries and, following CCTV and DNA enquiries, we were able to find evidence which has now put Devany behind bars.

“These burglaries have had a huge impact on the victims and we are pleased that Devany now has plenty of time to reflect on her actions in prison. Burglary is a deeply personal crime and having jewellery stolen that has huge sentimental value can be devastating for victims.

“It is rare for members of the Asian community to be targeted in this way, but some burglars exploit cultural traditions and aim to steal family gold. If you keep valuable jewelry or large amounts of cash at home, take steps to secure them appropriately.

“Just trying to hide jewelry or cash won’t be enough, no matter how well you think you’ve hidden it. A determined burglar will look everywhere for your valuables.

“It would be best to completely remove all gold and jewelry from your home and secure these items in a safety deposit box. If you prefer to keep your gold and jewelry at home, purchase a high-quality safe that meets insurance-rated standards and is securely attached to a wall or floor.”

Don’t miss the most important and latest news by subscribing to the Echo Daily newsletter here