Father and son targeted 'Asian gold' in break-ins

CHILD OF VICTIM TERRIFIED THE PAIR WILL COME BACK

- By ROB KENNEDY and JADE MCELWEE

A FATHER and son duo were part of a travelling gang of burglars who focused on stealing “Asian gold” during a spate of house break-ins.

James Loveridge senior and James Loveridge junior raided homes in Northumberland and Thornaby, swiping valuables worth thousands.

The pair, along with their accomplices, used vehicles with cloned number plates to travel to the North East, specifically targeting homes they believed contained the sought-after gold.

Loveridge senior was also implicated in similar heists in the North West, where cleaning fluids were employed to destroy forensic evidence.

Prosecutor Neil Pallister told the court: “The defendants were members of a group who travelled from the Greater Manchester area to the North East to carry out targeted burglaries on domestic addresses in search of Asian gold.”

The court was informed that the burglars used a BMW with cloned registration plates, accompanied by another vehicle on fake plates.

They arranged accommodation at an Airbnb in County Durham before breaking into a five-bedroom bungalow in Ashington, Northumberland on March 18, 2022. Upon returning home, the homeowner discovered a shattered rear patio door and found both the bungalow and loft had been thoroughly searched, indicating the burglars were hunting for something specific.