TWO burglars who thought they had discovered ‘the perfect crime’ breaking into unoccupied homes under renovation have been jailed.

Martin Maloney, 49, and Christopher Leigh, 45, carried out at least 21 burglaries at expensive luxury homes across East Cheshire.

The duo were both sentenced to four years and three months in prison at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, April 26.

The pair, from Bolton, stole property worth around £120,000 from homes in Alderley Edge and Prestbury between September 2019 and April 2021, the court heard.

All of the incidents involved high end detached homes that were in the process of being renovated.

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Maloney, of Dunoon Drive, Bolton, and Leigh, of Longfield Road, Bolton had both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle.

On each occasion, the pair stole high value tools and luxury fixtures and fittings, which were being installed in the properties.

Detective Constable James Hewitt said: “Maloney and Leigh are both experienced offenders who thought they had discovered the perfect crime.

“The pair would meet at a secret rendezvous point in Bolton where they would leave their mobile phones, before travelling down to Cheshire in a Chrysler Voyager to commit their crimes, making every effort to avoid any CCTV or ANPR cameras on the way.

“Once they had arrived in Cheshire they would target unoccupied homes which were under renovation, thinking they would minimise the risk of any witnesses or forensic evidence.

“However, their downfall came thanks to the work of the burglary investigation team here at Macclesfield. On the evening of Tuesday, April 6, 2021, we carried out an undercover operation to catch the pair in the act.

“During the operation our team followed men from Bolton to an address on the outskirts of Cheshire where they carried out a burglary at a building site, before arresting them on the M60 as they travelled back to Bolton.

“Following subsequent searches at their homes we recovered some of the stolen items. Banking documents also showed that Maloney had deposited more than £14,000 of his ill-gotten gains into another bank account.

“As a result of all the evidence we gathered against the pair, we were able to bring them to justice.”

Detective Sergeant David Jarvis added: “This was an extremely complex investigation which involved a number of units from across the force.

“Maloney and Leigh were well aware of police tactics, and they thought that they had done enough to cover up their offences.

“Thankfully, as a result of the dedication of the team at Macclesfield, the pair are now behind bars and being held accountable for their actions.

“I hope that the outcome of this case demonstrates to local residents how seriously we treat burglary, and also acts as a warning to others who are thinking about coming to Cheshire to commit crime.”