DNA links man to attempted attack on Tesco Superstore on Church Road, Bishops Cleeve

A man has been convicted after DNA found inside an abandoned van and on tissue linked him to an attempted attack on a supermarket.

Jack Bradley, 25, of HMP Hewell, was jailed for two years after previously pleading guilty to burglary outside a dwelling with intent to burglary.

The court heard Bradley was one of a group of men who drove a 4×4 vehicle in an attempt to break into the Tesco Superstore on Church Road in Bishops Cleeve in the early hours of Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

CCTV footage shows the group clearing the foyer of items such as Christmas wreaths, display shelves and baskets before a Mercedes 4×4 was flipped and turned into metal shutters in an attempt to access the main supermarket.

There were personnel on duty in the building at the time of the incident.

The group stole nothing, but the cost of repairing the damage was just under £80,000 and the store had to close for the day. The supermarket is believed to have lost £120,000 in potential sales and staff wages as a result.

Bradley became a suspect in the attempted ram raid after his DNA was found on a tissue left in the supermarket car park.

It was determined that the Renault transit minibus in which he arrived at the scene was abandoned and stolen hours later. The van was forensically examined and Bradley’s DNA was found on the steering wheel, gear lever, parking brake, electronic cigarette and screwdriver found inside.

Already in prison following a previous conviction, Bradley was visited by officers and during an interview in February 2024, he admitted that he planned to leave with a safe if the coach raid was successful.

He was later charged in connection with the incident and pleaded guilty at a hearing on 9 October 2024.

In mitigation, Bradley’s attorney argued that he had a drug addiction and was a reluctant participant in the coach raid. It was stated that he was recruited to take office by people he feared.

Bradley appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday afternoon (November 12) where he was also ordered to pay a £187 surcharge.

The sentence will run concurrently with the sentence he is currently serving for theft offenses after he was sentenced to three years in prison in April.

Investigating officer PC Hancock of the Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Vanguard team He said: “I am pleased that Bradley has been sentenced as his actions on December 6 last year had a huge impact on those involved.

“This affected the community of Bishop’s Cleeve as well as Tesco and its staff. This would have been a very frightening experience for staff who were in the building at the time of the attempted attack.”