An Ellesmere Port teenager helped burgle a footballer’s mansion in a £500,000 daylight raid.
Burglars targeted the Frodsham home of ex-Liverpool FC striker Djibril Cissé stealing jewellery, limited edition watches and luxury electronic goods, during the daytime raid in April last year.
On Monday Jack York, of Swale Road, Ellesmere Port, appeared in court charged with the burglary at the footballer’s mansion.
The 17-year-old was handed a two-year youth rehabilitation order and a two-year supervision order after his defence claimed he was ‘drafted in at the last minute’ and had no part in planning the offence.
Daniel Hayes, of Coronation Drive, Frodsham, was jailed for 876 days for his prominent role in the burglary at the premier league footballer’s £2m home.
He was also identified as the ‘mean’ thief who targeted a Frodsham church, stealing donations worth more than £1,000 from the communion safe.
He will serve an additional six months for those crimes.
Stephen Wilkinson, 22, of School Lane, Elton, who has learning difficulties, received a 12-month community order after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods.
At about 4pm on April 20 last year, Jude, who is in the midst of divorce proceedings from Djibril, returned home from training in Liverpool with her four boys, aged three to 19, to find the Ridge Manor House ransacked.
More than £100,000 worth of limited edition watches, including a Rolex and a rare Roger Dubuis were stolen – along with Mrs’s Cissé's engagement ring, Chester Crown Court heard.
Many of the items have never been recovered, but 10 of the watches were returned by a Frodsham taxi driver who managed to identify the thieves and return the items.
But just hours after the burglary, Wilkinson attempted to sell on the stolen ring and one earring, but struggled as the potential buyer thought it was ‘cheap costume jewellery’.
“His initial view was it was cheap costume jewellery, but on closer inspection he realised it was worth thousands of pounds,” said Rebecca Smith, prosecuting.
“He had heard in the community there had been a burglary at the Cissé property, and he contacted the police.”
In the days following the raid, police searched a vehicle and discovered mobile phones and electrical items taken from the Cissé mansion, and designer sunglasses and jewellery were found in a property nearby.
York, who pleaded guilty to his part in the burglary and has previous convictions for battery, was drafted in at the last minute to take part in the raid, said John Hedgecoe, defending.
Wilkinson, who had no previous convictions, suffers from learning difficulties and had ‘got in with the wrong crowd’, said Nicholas Williams, defending.
Two further youths, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were handed youth referral orders for their parts in the burglary at Chester Magistrates Court last year.
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