A pair of burglars have been jailed after a court heard they caused £3,500 damage during a break-in at a Kirklees golf course.

And one then even had the cheek to suggest the damage they caused was no more than an annual subscription at some golf courses.

John Reece Collins and Ian Carl Broadhurst were caught after the alarm went off in the early hours of February 27 at Cleckheaton Golf Club.

Nick Adlington, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that when officers responded they found a large hole in the side of the greenkeeper’s hut where the raiders had driven a lawnmower out through the wall.

Stock Pic: Leeds Combined Courts, Crown Court.
Leeds Crown Court

Three other green-keeping machines had also had their ignitions tampered with, leaving them damaged. The locks on another outbuilding had also been interfered with by the thieves.

Mr Adlington said three men were responsible, having arrived in Broadhurst’s Toyota Avensis which was found with false number plates. Broadhurst was caught at the scene, Collins ran off but was chased and arrested while the third man got away.

The court heard Broadhurst had 57 convictions for 24 offences on his record, including previous for burglaries, while Collins had 20 convictions for 10 offences, none for burglary but was under a suspended sentence for dangerous driving at the time of the break-in.

Narinder Rathour, for Broadhurst, said while his client was realistic and expected a prison term the damage caused was not necessarily a significant loss to the club since it was only “the annual subscription at some golf courses.”

Broadhurt had recently suffered the traumatic loss of his father who had been paralysed for two years following a work accident.

Richard Holland, for Collins, said his client had completed all the unpaid work hours imposed under his suspended sentence and hoped that would be taken into account.

Broadhurst, 32, of Dean Hall Close, Morley, was jailed for 18 months after admitting burglary with intent at the golf club

Collins, 29 of Stanhope Road, Leeds, was jailed for 22 months after admitting burglary with intent and breaching the suspended sentence.

Jailing them the Recorder of Leeds Judge Peter Collier QC said: “A considerable amount of damage was done and you admitted the intention was to take things away for your own benefit.”

He said Mr Rathour had argued the £3,500 damage caused was not significant compared with the cost people have to pay to belong to clubs.

But the judge said: “I disagree, it is significant damage. A group of you went there in a vehicle.”