Hospital raiders delay cancer unit work

Jul 19 2008 by Hilary Clixby, The Journal

BURGLARS delayed the completion of a new hospital unit for young cancer sufferers by plundering thousands of pounds worth of building supplies in a series of raids.

Valuable materials including copper piping, lead wire, cables and metal sheets were stolen as the unit was under construction at the new Leazes wing at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

“The items that were taken were designed to order so they could not be replaced the following day,” said Sarah Guest, prosecuting at Newcastle Crown Court.

“Many had their own specific requirements. It placed the building of the children’s cancer unit behind schedule.”

The project is part of a £304m redevelopment project to transform Newcastle’s hospitals

Two of the culprits, Peter Waters and Iain Evans, were yesterday jailed for six months after admitting raiding the premises four times in January and February this year.

Ms Guest said the total amount of property which went missing from the building was put at £52,718 but the prosecution could not prove Waters and Evans were responsible for all the raids that apparently took place.

The pair were arrested after security guards spotted intruders on the site on three successive nights.

“On January 31 this year, security guards saw three shadows moving round on the fourth floor of the new building,” Ms Guest told the court. “They were carrying wire and cables. Police were called but they made off.

“The next day, security guards saw another three men on the fourth floor carrying cables. Police were called and they made off.

“A day later, it became apparent they were parking their vehicle at the top of the multi-storey car park then climbing across the scaffolding to get to the premises and loading their vehicle with stolen supplies.”

Ms Guest said following their arrest it became apparent Waters had worked for one of the building sub-contractors for seven months until he was sacked for stealing wire.

He and Evans claimed to have sold the materials they stole for £1,500 as scrap, sharing the profit they made with a third accomplice since dealt with in the youth court. Peter Schofield, defending, said Waters and Evans were not responsible for “anything like” the entirety of what was taken from the site.

He also said Waters, 25, of Tunstall Avenue, Byker, Newcastle, had not realised the effect his actions would have on the wider community.

Carl Gumsley, defending, said Evans, 25, of Jane Street, Byker, had been looking for quick money because he was broke and had also not appreciated the consequences of what he was doing to the wider community.

Recorder John Lodge said he accepted Waters and Evans were not the only ones to raid the premises, but only an immediate jail term was appropriate.

“This is a project that is vital for the people of Newcastle,” he said. “It is set back because people plunder and plunder and plunder again. I cannot ignore this was a hospital. They knew this was a hospital.”