Mechanic traded in stolen superbikes

A MECHANIC who supplied hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of stolen superbikes to criminals has been jailed for six years.

Ellis Thomas, 33, boasted “I can get as many as you want” as he fixed up hundreds of bikes at his garage in Upminster and touted them for sale around the world.

He sold 750cc motorbikes for £1,400 each and high-powered models such as the BMW S1000RR for £2,500.

Re c o rd e r S a c h a Was s QC jailed Thomas, from Millwall, at the Old Bailey after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to handle stolen goods. “It’s such a shame you decided to use your talents in a way that was entirely criminal ... this was serious organised crime,” she told him.

The judge added that the trial had only covered the last six months of Thomas’s criminal operation, which lasted for three years from 2012 to 2015.

“The goods in this case were worth well over £100,000, but that may be the tip of the iceberg”, she said.

Co-defendant Mario White, 47, of Neasden, was jailed for two years for helping Thomas ship stolen bikes to Trinidad. Undercover police officers, known as Skinz and Sean, had infiltrated Thomas’s operation over several months by posing as potential buyers of stolen bikes, the trial heard.

Police also found messages on his phone from contacts in Trinidad and Ghana as he plotted to sell motorbikes.

Thomas, who owned a legitimate business called Crazy Custom Quads, claimed he had not known he was dealing with stolen bikes, but the jury c o nv i c t e d h i m o n t wo counts of conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

White had pleaded guilt y to one charge of conspiracy to handle stolen goods.