Traveller who ran high-end car stealing operation from caravan site is sentenced to more than three years – as accomplice avoids jail

Thomas Ward has been jailed for three years and four months for organising a scheme that stole high-end cars in south London. His accomplice, John Corcoran, received a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years, meaning he avoided immediate imprisonment.

The pair admitted conspiring to steal 16 vehicles worth a total of £324,000 between 9 November and 4 December 2023. They used a device to clone car keys, then took the cars to a caravan site to fit cloned number plates and prepare them for sale; Corcoran was described as the operation’s technician. He must also complete 300 hours of unpaid work and rehabilitation requirements.