A MAN who conspired to steal £16,000 of goods from a farm due to a grudge with the owner has been jailed.

Theo Constantinou, 64, of Houghtons Lane, Eccleston was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery.

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He orchestrated the robbery of a farm in Tarvin, Cheshire which was committed by two of Constantinou's accomplices who have also been jailed.

A man and a woman were attacked during the robbery, with the man left with life changing injuries.

Michael Allen, 55, of Windle Street, Cowley Hill and Mark Bennett, 48, of Rodney Street, Newtown both pleaded guilty to robbery on July 24, 2017 and were each sentenced to nine years.

At 7.30pm on Saturday, February 11, 2017 Allen and Bennett, wearing masks to conceal their identity, forced their way into the farm and assaulted a man and woman.

The men ransacked the property, stealing numerous items before fleeing the scene in a Toyota.

On the same day, the Toyota used as the getaway vehicle was later found abandoned in St Helens having been set on fire.

Police were able to identify Bennett through DNA found on his mask after he dropped it while leaving the scene.

Following Bennett’s arrest, officers seized his phone with records showing he was in close contact with Allen who was subsequently arrested.

The court heard how the men were in close contact with each other between January 1 and February 17 in the run up to the robbery. It is during this period where they conspired to plan their crime.

On sentencing Constantinou, Judge Simon Berkson said meticulous police work carried out by Chester CID led to the exposure of the conspiracy.

Detective Constable Steve Owens, of Chester Local Policing Unit, said: “Constantinou was the man behind coordinating this robbery which led to one of the victims receiving life changing injuries over what I would describe as a minor civil dispute.

“It is down to the commitment of officers working on this case who found significant evidence, which left Allen and Bennett with no choice but to plead guilty.

“It has been a sad case but ultimately justice has been served and the judge has handed those involved significant sentences which reflect their crime.”