Lucy Buckland

lucy.buckland@essnmedia.co.uk

A GANG of burglars who posted rap videos on the internet bragging about their crimes have been jailed.

The youths, calling themselves The Night Crawlers, put up a string of videos on YouTube where they boasted that they were "notorious criminals" who would never be caught.

Gang leader Matthew Murtagh also taunted a police officer on the investigating team by leaving messages on his mobile phone such as "You'll never find me" and "I'll be celebrating Christmas with my mates".

He was eventually arrested on December 23 last year hiding out in a bed and breakfast.

At Croydon Crown Court last Friday the five gang members were jailed for a crime spree which saw them burgling a string of homes and stealing the owners' cars.

The gang members were Murtagh, 20, of Roffey Close, Purley; Michael Hunte, 19, of Old Lodge Lane, Purley; Kevin McBarron, 19, of Edridge Road, Croydon; Daryl Axten, 19, of Forge Avenue, Coulsdon; and Christopher Brooks, 19, of Court Road, Caterham.

Murtagh pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle and to steal and was jailed for three years and two months.

Hunte admitted conspiracy to burgle and was sentenced to 32 months.

The other three pleaded guilty to charges of burglary. McBarron was locked up for 18 months, and Brooks and Axten were given a year in jail each.

Prosecutor Gaurang Naik said the charges related to 17 burglaries, most of them in the Croydon area.

He said: "They occurred while the occupants were asleep. The final objective was to steal the victims' cars.

"This could only be achieved by entering the premises and stealing the keys. The cars would be used to facilitate burglaries.

"It was a conspiracy which was well structured and well organised."

When Murtagh's home was searched on August 28 last year, a large amount of stolen property was found.

Police then mounted an undercover operation to catch all the gang members which involved the tailing of cars and checking mobile phone messages between the defendants.

When sentencing the gang, Judge Ruth Downing said Murtagh had played the key role in deciding where to carry out the break-ins.

Addresses where burglaries took place included Hillview Close, Purley; The Woodfields, South Croydon; Beaumont Road, Purley; Guildford Road, Croydon; Hartley Old Road; Purley, and Ensign Close, Purley.