Two men who targeted rural areas to steal vehicles, tools and equipment have been jailed. Bill Harber, 22, and Joseph Brazil, 19, were arrested in February for a string of thefts from farms and other rural locations across Sussex, Norfolk, Devon, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. The pair carried out the spree between November 2023 and January 2024, totalling eight thefts across the south.
Three vehicles were stolen along with property worth more than £44,000, with rural properties in areas such as Rye and Bodiam being hit in November 2023. Harber and Brazil, both from Holwell Place, Essendon in Hertfordshire, were remanded in custody after their arrest and appeared at St Albans Crown Court where they were each sentenced to two years and six months in prison. READ MORE: Anthony Stocks sentenced for pushing boy off Brighton cliff The investigation was led by Hertfordshire’s Specialist Investigations Team and assisted by police forces including Sussex Police’s criminal investigations department.
Sergeant Carlo Leone, formerly of the Sussex Police’s rural c rime team, said such thefts had a damaging impact on farms and rural properties. He said: “These are hard-working people who are already facing significant financial struggles with soaring production costs. “The theft of tools, machinery or equipment that is necessary for carrying out their work could be the difference between staying afloat or losing their business and home.
“There is also the hidden impact - ul.