Jailed: Metal thief who tried to steal plaque commemorating two children killed in IRA bomb just weeks before second memorial was taken
- Spartakas Grachauskas was caught red-handed trying to steal a metal plaque off the 1993 Warrington bombing memorial
- The Lithuanian thief hoped to sell it as scrap metal prices soar across UK
- Police still hunting thieves of another plaque stolen from same memorial honouring Tim Parry, 12, and Johnathan Ball, 3, who were killed in 1993 blast
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Jailed: Spartakas Grachauskas admitted trying to steal a plaque off the 1993 Warrington bombing memorial to sell for scrap metal
A thief who was caught trying to steal a metal plaque commemorating two children killed in an IRA bomb attack was jailed today.
Lithuanian Spartakas Grachauskas, 25, turned up armed with a set of tools ready to steal the plaque off the River of Life memorial in Warrington but was caught in the act by CCTV.
Police arrived and caught the would-be thief red handed as he attempted to prise the plaque from the ground.
He was jailed for 18-weeks at Manchester City Magistrates Court for trying to steal the metal plaque that forms part of the River of Life - a memorial to the victims of the Warrington bombing in 1993.
The incident happened just weeks before another attempt when thieves successfully stole an A3-size plaque from the memorial honouring Tim Parry, 12, and Johnathan Ball, 3, that could have been sold for scrap for as little as £30.
Tim's heartbroken mother Wendy Parry said: 'Whether he knew what it was for or not, there’s no reason to take a plaque to make money - any kind of plaque whether it be one on a grave or a memorial, it’s stealing. I hope people will think twice about what they are doing.
'It might just be a piece of metal but to us it has an impact, because somebody’s life has been taken and people need to think about why it is there.
'It is terrible for the families, people may just walk past it but to the families it is important.'
The death of the two boys touched the heart of the nation and Tim's father Colin Parry, 65, received an OBE for his peace campaigning after the atrocity.
But despite its emotional significance the memorial to the young victims of the 1993 bombings has been repeatedly targeted by thieves in recent months attempting to exploit the soaring value of scrap metal.
After the first memorial was stolen - sometime between April 20 and May 5 - Mr Parry condemned the thieves.
He said: ‘It beggars belief that people can be so heartless and I don’t expect that they have any conscience.
‘It is remarkable the lengths that some people will go to make some cash and it is one of those crimes that is so off the scale that it is disgusting.’
The theft comes as war memorials, lead from church roofs and cables from railway lines have been targeted across the UK.
Each year, at least 15,000 tons of the 13 million tons of metal sent for scrap is believed to be stolen, worth an estimated of £800million a year.
Memorial: This River of Life runs down Bridge Street, Warrington, in honour of the two boys killed in the 1993 IRA bomb blast
Bombing victims: Johnathan Ball, aged three, and Tim Parry, 12, who were killed in the blast in Warrington in 1993
The court was told how Grachauskas had hoped to steal the plaque in Warrington town centre with the aid of another man and sell it on to a scrap metal merchant.
But he was caught on CCTV approaching the River of Life water feature preparing to steal the plaque and police were dispatched to the scene.
Jenny Baines, prosecuting, said: 'It was clearly a very motivated offence. CCTV shows that he employed several techniques to try and remove the plaque through brute force. The CCTV sees him prise the plaque while the co-accused keeps a look out.
Wendy and Colin Parry, parents of Tim Parry who was killed in I.R.A. bombing at Warrington, welcomed the sentencing of Lithuanian Spartakas Grachauskas
'However, the lookout has not been able to give him sufficient warning, and the police officers find them to be in possession of a number of tools the significant of which links to pre-meditation.
'There was a screwdriver, an eight inch silver wrench and another 3inch screw driver. The officers noted that the plaque has been loosened by the time they had arrived.'
The defendant was taken into custody where he made a full admission in interview. The co-accused was given a warning and let off.
The court heard how Grachauskas had already received a 10 month custodial sentence in May for a burglary offence in December.
Miss Baines added: 'Grachauskas has a majority of offences of dishonesty including the house burglary for which he is now serving.
'The majority of offences have resulted in custodial sentences. The co-accused was a man of previous good character and for that reason was given a caution.'
Manchester magistrate chairman Paul Welsh said: 'We have had to take quite a bit of time to think about the right way to deal with this case. Although on paper it is a relatively straight forward theft of a piece of metal - it is more than that to the people who are affected by it.
'Our view is that this was a theft where there was quite a degree of planning, so our point of view makes it more at the serious end of thefts.
'Metal thefts are becoming more common and because of the nature of this theft and the impact on the community it makes it more serious.
'We accept that it is likely that you do not understand the significance of what you were trying to steal at the time but you went deliberately to steal.'
Blast: The scene is cordoned off after two litter bins exploded outside a Boots store and a McDonalds
Campaigner: Colin Parry, father of Warrington bomb victim Tim Parry, with former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Dr John Reid. He is pictured at a peace centre in Warrington he set-up after his son's death
After Grachauskas’ sentencing, Mrs Parry - mother of Tim Parry - said: 'I think he got what he deserved and I’m pleased that he has got the sentence that he got. Maybe other people thinking about doing something like this will think twice.
'I always find these sorts of things quite sad because the person who is stealing it is desperate, but the fact that he did it just to make money makes him a greedy person'
Father's anguish: Colin Parry and his son on holiday, a year before Tim was killed at the age of 12. The plaque (right) put up in memory of Tim and the other victim Johnathan Ball, 3, that was stolen by scrap metal thieves
Stolen: This is where the bronze memorial plaque which paid tribute to the two boys killed in the IRA blast was placed. Police are today hunting for the people who took it
Referring to the plaque that was successfully stolen, she said: 'The community has been very upset by it and we have been amazed by the amount of people who have rang us and offered to pay or a new one. We could have replaced it 100 times over, so we have asked people to make a donation to the charity instead.'
Police added that metal thefts are increasing across the UK and are not a 'victimless' crime.
Chief Superintendent Richard Strachan, of Cheshire Police, said: 'Metal theft comes in many forms and affects everyone.
'It is not a victimless crime - in this case the repercussions are far reaching as the plaque, which the offender tried to steal, forms part of a memorial to the victims of the Warrington bombing.
'This is an important memorial for the community in Warrington and is part of the town's heritage.
'Metal theft is a national issue and we will continue to work with local partners, the community, businesses and other police forces to target those responsible.'
The Warrington bombings consisted of two separate attacks – the first in February 1993 at a gas storage facility and the second the following month in the centre of the Cheshire town.
In the second attack, The Samaritans received a coded message wrongly stating a bomb would be detonated in Liverpool.
In the event, there were two blasts, in litter bins outside Boots and Argos, within a minute of each other causing carnage and confusion.
Johnathan Ball was killed almost instantly and Tim Parry was so badly injured his parents later had to take the agonising decision to turn off his life support machine.
More than 50 other victims were injured, with many suffering serious shrapnel wounds and cuts and lacerations from flying glass.
The stolen bronze plaque was put up in 1996 alongside a water feature in part designed by local schoolchildren.
In the second attack, The Samaritans received a coded message wrongly stating a bomb would be detonated in Liverpool.
In the event, there were two blasts, in litter bins outside Boots and Argos, within a minute of each other causing carnage and confusion.
Johnathan Ball was killed almost instantly and Tim Parry was so badly injured his parents later had to take the agonising decision to turn off his life support machine.
More than 50 other victims were injured, with many suffering serious shrapnel wounds and cuts and lacerations from flying glass.
The stolen bronze plaque was put up in 1996 alongside a water feature in part designed by local schoolchildren.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2152257/Jailed-Metal-thief-tried-steal-plaque-commemorating-children-killed-IRA-bomb-just-weeks-second-memorial-taken.html#ixzz1wOvC9QlX
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