Dramatic moment officers arrest a gang of burglars who tried to escape after robbing nearby farms by hiding up a tree
- Abraham Fox, 28, Ross Sutcliffe, 29, and William Lowther, 48, fled 20 officers
- They were jailed for two years each on three counts of burglary in Yorkshire
- A police helicopter’s thermal imaging cameras caught the men trying to hide
This is the impressive moment police catch a gang of bungling burglars hiding up a tree after they were lit up by a helicopter’s thermal imaging cameras.
Abraham Fox, 28, Ross Sutcliffe, 29, and William Lowther, 48, fled 20 officers trying to arrest them for raids on North Yorkshire farms on January 15.
Fox and Sutcliffe both clambered up a tree to evade capture, but were spotted perching on the branches by the support chopper.
Lowther split up from his accomplices and buried himself in grassland close to the A1 near Harrogate, yet he was sniffed out by a canine unit.
All men pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and were on Friday jailed at York Crown Court for more than two years each.
This is the impressive moment police catch a gang of bungling burglars hiding up a tree in North Yorkshire after they were lit up by a helicopter’s thermal imaging cameras
Following their sentencing, North Yorkshire Police released footage of the manhunt recorded by the helicopter’s thermal thermal cameras.
The first clip shows the moment Lowther was caught by dogs, who round on the convict lying flat on the ground by the main road.
The video then cuts to show a section of rural countryside and two figures which appear as black outlines are seen perching up a large tree.
On the ground, police officers fan out and slowly comb the area.
But they then march with purpose towards the base of the tree, where they stop before arresting the men.
Fox and Sutcliffe both clambered up a tree to evade capture, but were spotted perching on the branches by the support chopper
Speaking after the sentencing, investigator Pam Luettke said: ‘Waking up in the middle of the night to see people outside your home wearing balaclavas must be one of the most terrifying ordeals you can imagine.
‘These were organised attacks on hardworking people and whilst they admitting their guilt, the gang displayed no sense of shame for what they did and remained unapologetic throughout for the distress they caused.
‘It is very satisfying to know that justice has been served for the victims and that Lowther, Fox and Sutcliffe are now behind bars.’
National Police Air Service’s (NPAS) Ian Vause said: ‘This was a great outcome and demonstrates how the NPAS help protect the public 24/7, 365 days a year from the air.’