A GANG has been jailed for stealing £600,000 worth of Land Rovers from across the UK.
The four men targeted high-value Land Rover Defenders over an eight-month period, taking 34 vehicles from Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Powys.
Vehicles were then taken to a workshop in Bristol that was used as a ‘chop shop’, which dealt in stolen car parts.
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In court
Leonard Hodgkins, 50, of Marlborough Gardens, Malvern, Jimmy Butler, 41, of Pershore Lane, Hindlip and Benjamin Hobbs, 35, of Beesmoor Road, Bristol, were facing a trial for conspiracy to commit theft at Hereford Crown Court but changed their pleas to guilty on Friday, September 18.
David Hodgkins (Image: West Mercia Police)
The fourth gang member, David Hodgkins, 40 of The Furlong, Powick, pleaded guilty in December last year.
Leonard Hodgkins was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, Butler was sentenced to three years and eight months, Hobbs was sentenced to four years and four months and David Hodgkins was sentenced to three years.
Leonard Hodgkins (Image: West Mercia Police)
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How gang was caught
A police investigation, dubbed Operation Liondale, was launched following Butler’s arrest in November 2025, during which officers found items of clothing that had been seen in CCTV of thefts being committed.
The other three men were arrested days later. Phones were seized, which had been used while they travelled in convoy with the stolen vehicles and the mission vehicles.
Parts of stolen cars were found at the chop shop in Bristol, which was owned by Hobbs, as well as documents and a jacket from one of the vehicles.
Ben Hobbs (Image: West Mercia Police)
Detective Sergeant Mark Jones of Hereford Reactive CID, who was the lead investigator for Operation Liondale, said: “This was a complex but ultimately successful investigation that tracked down and prosecuted this gang of car thieves, so we are pleased to get these sentences today as their criminality harmed many people in our force area and neighbouring forces too.
“We know it often seems like car thieves get away with it, but we hope this result shows we will always work hard to bring these offenders before the courts and try to halt the impact their actions have on our communities.”