[2025] EWCA Crim 1115

As recorded by the judge when sentencing the appellants, each had extensive criminal records.

Mr Sami had 14 previous convictions for 19 offences. These included going equipped in 2011 and various driving offences. On 29 September 2020 he had been sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment suspended for 18 months for possession of a knife, which meant that at the time he committed the conspiracy to steal, he would have been in breach of that suspended sentence. In November 2023 he was convicted of driving with excess alcohol on 12 January 2022, which put him in breach of the same suspended sentence and was dealt with by a financial penalty. The judge decided in those circumstances not to resentence him for the breach of the suspended sentence.

As for Mr Salem, he had 16 previous convictions for 46 offences. There were various driving offences including driving whilst disqualified. There was a single burglary but that was an old offence. He had a number of convictions for failing to comply with previous court orders, and in November 2022 he was convicted of possession with intent to supply psychoactive substances. That related to the events of July 2019, as a result of which he was either on bail or released under investigation. As we have already said, it makes no real difference whether it was one or the other.