Yorkshire Car Thieves' Desperate Hot Tub Hideout
Three criminals responsible for a series of terrifying car thefts across Yorkshire found themselves literally in hot water when police discovered two of them hiding in a garden hot tub. Ryan Wilkinson, 25, and Adrian Askin, 28, were found soaking wet under the lid of the tub, while their accomplice Cyle Jenkins, 23, was detected concealed in a trailer nearby in Camblesforth, North Yorkshire.
A Trail of Terror Across Yorkshire Homes
The trio's crime spree involved targeting high-value Audi and Volkswagen vehicles, leaving multiple victims traumatised by their violent methods. In one particularly disturbing incident, the masked men banged on a property door shouting 'It's the police' and threatened to break it down if not allowed entry.
Once inside, they assaulted a woman in front of her terrified elderly mother, punching her in the face and demanding she hand over the keys to her Audi RS3. The victim later described how the experience gave her nightmares, stating in an impact statement: 'When I opened the door to see those three men stood there in balaclavas, it gives me nightmares, and I have had nightmares. I will never forget what happened that night.'
Fortunately, the woman refused to disclose the code to the car's immobiliser, preventing the thieves from driving the vehicle beyond the garage. To stop her calling for help, the criminals smashed her mobile phone and took the landline, though she eventually alerted police with a neighbour's assistance.
Multiple Victims Targeted in Home Invasions
The gang's criminal activities extended across Yorkshire, with another victim in Gilberdyke, East Yorkshire, having his three-week-old Volkswagen Golf R stolen from outside his home after the property was broken into. The vehicle owner explained how the incident had permanently affected his sense of security, saying he and his wife now check their blinds daily, fearing they might be targeted again.
In Carlton, North Yorkshire, another homeowner faced a masked intruder who had broken in through a side door. The criminal brandished the homeowner's own air rifle while swinging a crowbar at the man's dog, threatening to kill the pet if he failed to hand over his car keys.
That victim described how the trauma changed his daily behaviour: 'The incident really shook me up. I would always be looking over my shoulder, paranoid someone was about. I was never like this before but because of what happened, it's changed how I feel and behave.'
Police Chase and Dramatic Capture
Officers tracked the criminals as they drove stolen vehicles fitted with false number plates toward Austerfield in Doncaster. Police successfully deflated the tyres of one car using a stinger device before it was found with collision damage.
The subsequent search led to the discovery of Wilkinson and Askin in the hot tub and Jenkins in the trailer. All three were arrested and later pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated burglary and two counts of theft of a motor vehicle.
Wilkinson had been connected to the Camblesforth burglary after CCTV showed him walking with a leg brace at a local restaurant the day before the incident. On November 21, all three received combined sentences totalling more than 30 years imprisonment, with Askin receiving ten years behind bars while the other two gang members were sentenced to nine years and four months each.
Police Praise Bravery of Victims
DC Alex Dorlin commented on the case, acknowledging the profound impact on the victims. 'These were terrifying and traumatic experiences for the victims of these burglaries, whose sense of safety in their own homes has been shattered, and the impact of which will be felt for a very long time.'
He particularly highlighted the courage of the first victim: 'The bravery of the first victim, who withheld her immobiliser code, ultimately set off a chain of events that led to the group's arrest the following night.'
Dorlin added that 'thanks to fast action and skilled investigative work from all sides of the border we've taken a dangerous and violent group off the streets,' expressing hope that the sentences would offer some closure to the victims.
