Stolen boilers were found in back of van at scrapyard

Gareth Ellis, 39, had taken them from a property in Friskney, Boston Magistrates’ Court was told on Wednesday.

The complainant had received a notification from her CCTV system that two people were on her property at about 9am on January 30.

She could see two men entering the front yard and taking a Murco boiler worth £250 and a non-working Worcester boiler worth £10.

“She reported this to police,” said prosecutor Turan Sunat. “In the meantime, Mr Ellis had taken the boilers to the scrapyard in Skegness.”

Ellis, of Rowland Way, Skegness, had weighed in some items.

“Police arrived at the scrapyard and they found the two boilers that had been stolen.”

Ellis, who pleaded guilty to theft, had seven similar offences on his record.

Solicitor Saleem Khan, mitigating, said: “Up until recently he was a scrap metal merchant.

“There’s always an element of risk involved in that – there’s a fine line between abandoned and not abandoned.

“He may have gone in good faith but accepts he should have made checks.”

Ellis was fined £200 and ordered to pay £165 in costs and victim surcharge.

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