The five members of Wythenshawe's Newall Green Crew gang were sentenced to a total of 24 years in jail after pleading guilty to numerous offences, including armed robbery and burglary.
They targeted homes with high-powered cars parked outside during an eight-month crime spree.
After threatening, beating and robbing the homeowners, they would then use the cars for other crimes, mostly robberies.
The cars stolen included a Subaru Impreza, which was shown speeding around the Wythenshawe estate and pulling 'doughnuts' in a video posted on Youtube by one gang member.
Also stolen between May 2007 and January this year by the gang were an Audi A4, Audi A3, a VW Golf and Seat Leon.
Detective Constable Stephen Philips said: "These five men are repeat offenders who have shown a complete disregard for the law.
"Between them they have targeted and terrified completely innocent members of the public.
"Thanks to a lot of hard work by officers at the burglary unit we were able to identify the offenders as key players in a gang who prided themselves on their criminal background.
"I am pleased they are all now starting considerable prison sentences. The streets will certainly be safer with them behind bars."
The gang were sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Friday (28/11/08).
Michael O'Reilly, 20, of Barnwood Road, Newall Green, pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery and one count of burglary. He was jailed for seven years.
Jonathan Charles Costello, 22, of Foxlair Road, Poundswick, pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to five years.
Matthew Sam Hackland, 21, of Greenbrow Road, Newall Green, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary at an earlier hearing and has been sentenced to four years.
Derek Cotterill, 23, of St George's Court, Eccles, Salford, admitted two counts of burglary at an earlier hearing. He was jailed for three years.
Damien Lee Dean, 24, of Kennett Road, Newall Green pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and handling stolen goods at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to five years.
Along with the five gang members, Paul Costello, 20, of Old Moat Lane, Withington, admitted handling stolen goods and going equipped for burglary at an earlier hearing and was jailed for nine months. Tweet
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That's one ugly line up, especially the second one ! Never mind, he can drop a few pounds in the prison gym !
I taught in a school in wythenshawe for a while and like many places it is a complete subculture. The Police are busy providing private security for Hale and Bowden (the easy patch) and avoiding confrontation in a place where they should be adopting a zero tolerance approach. The absence of law and order in these places fosters the criminal mentality and people like teachers have to try to cope with it. The police in manchester on the whole do nothing but provide a private security service for the rich and allow scumbags to rule the roost in these poorer areas.
I agree michael, the police are one of the main enemies of the law abiding British working classes.
I just say well-done to all who nicked them. There is no need for it just a gang of violent crackpot cranks
It's not people like this that you need to worry about, it's the corruption in the police force and the justice system. And these vindictive comments you have left; you dont know them enough to talk about them in that manner. You don't know how the police have twisted things, for all you know some of these people could be innocent. Dont believe everything the police say!
Laura, I bet one of these lovely young innocent men are in your family circle?
Please don't tell us the law/Police is corrupt. Don't forget legal aid and smart lawyers would have got them off the hook if the evidence wasn't compelling enough.
you can not be that nieve that you think the police and honest and true in everything they do? Pity you if you do. Believe me their is more to this than you think.
hahaha thats all i can say, newall green will be a better place without this pondlife populating the area....and laura, these people are not innocent and set up, they are criminals that got caught and they deserve everything that they get.....end of