Four men described by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as prolific burglars have been jailed after a series of break‑ins across Stockport and nearby towns. Officers say the group targeted homes where high-performance and luxury vehicles were kept, taking keys from inside properties before driving the cars away.
How the crimes were carried out
Police investigations found the group operated between December 2024 and June 2025. Detectives recovered devices and images of stolen vehicles, suspected cloned number plates and burglary tools. Messages seized during enquiries discussed the sale or onward disposal of vehicles shortly after they were taken.
- Victims reported offenders entering properties while they slept in some cases, leaving households distressed.
- Incidents included burglaries in Stockport, Marple and Glossop.
- Evidence suggested the gang was active across Greater Manchester and into Derbyshire.
Sentences handed down
The four defendants received custodial terms ranging from just over three years to more than seven years. The court imposed the following sentences:
| Name | Date of birth | Address (as reported) | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Cannon | 24/08/2006 | Ardenfield, Denton | 88 months |
| Callum Sweeney | 22/01/2001 | Stringer Avenue, Hattersley | 73 months |
| Ashley Kershaw | 09/09/2002 | Sheffield Road, Hyde | 76 months |
| Jack Lupton | 02/11/2004 | Montagu Street, Compstall | 40 months |
Part of a wider GMP initiative
GMP said the sentences form part of Operation Castle, a force-wide initiative aimed at reducing residential burglary. The operation, launched five years ago, has focused on ensuring officers attend every reported domestic burglary and increasing arrest rates.
"Operation Castle is a project designed to reduce burglary across Greater Manchester."
Since May 2021, GMP reports a one-third fall in residential burglary, equating to some 456 fewer victims each month. Business and community burglary has also fallen by around 15 per cent. At the same time police say arrests for burglary have risen considerably; where once GMP were arresting at roughly one in 15 burglaries, that figure is now about one in five.
Crime Scene Investigators now attend and examine every residential burglary where required. GMP provided an average figure for the last 12 months of 924 attended residential burglaries per month across the force.
For Stockport residents these convictions will be a welcome sign that high-profile operations can lead to lengthy custodial sentences, but police figures underline that burglary remains an area of active work for neighbourhood teams. Officers continue to encourage anyone with information about similar offences to contact GMP so ongoing or linked offending can be disrupted.
