THE arrogant leader of a gang of vicious robbers has been jailed - after police found a picture of him posing in a £20,000 sports car he had stolen.

Cops seized a disposable camera when they arrested Kane Barratt. One of the pictures taken on it showed him posing behind the wheel of a stolen, almost new Audi A4 cabriolet.

The evidence helped nail the 20-year-old as the leader of a gang behind a vicious six-week crime spree across Greater Manchester.

Barratt, a father-of-two, has now been handed an indeterminate sentence for the public protection and was told he would serve a minimum of five-and-half years behind bars before he can be considered for parole.

He smiled to friends in the public gallery as he was led away from Manchester Crown Court to begin his sentence.

There is a breath-taking context of a nihilistic and amoral underworld

Judge Martin Rudland

His gang was behind 16 crimes in just six weeks in Stockport and Middleton.

Barratt, of Heathland Terrace, Stockport, claimed he embarked on the crime spree to pay back an underworld debt and claimed there was a 'bounty' on his head.

He pleaded guilty to two robberies and three burglaries.

Judge Martin Rudland described one of the robberies, where a family was held at knife-point at their home in Gatley, as 'shocking' and told the defendant: "There is a breath-taking context of a nihilistic and amoral underworld where bounties are put on heads and where no form of restraint is exercised by anyone in the subculture in which you were operating."

His criminal campaign started almost as soon as he was released from another long prison sentence.

First, he led a masked gang armed with knives and including a machete into a house in Gatley, taking a Subaru Impreza and Vauxhall Vectra parked on the drive.

A knife was held to the terrified householder's throat while his two adult children hid in the bathroom. The Vectra later crashed and four robbers fled.

Barratt's DNA was found in the car.

Some 11 days later his gang raided Waitrose supermarket in Cheadle Hulme, going on a wrecking spree before fleeing with thousands of cigarettes.

Three weeks later his gang burgled a house on Green Lane, Heaton Norris, while the occupants were out.

The gang stole an almost new Audi A4 cabriolet from the drive and then slapped fake number plates on it.

When Barratt was eventually arrested, cops seized a disposable camera from him and found a picture of him posing with the Audi. His fingerprints were also found on the car.

Five days after the Heaton Norris raid, the gang was at it again, breaking into a home on Lanark Avenue, Northenden, while the householders were out, taking a laptop computer, cheque books as well as a Toyota Yaris and Mazda RX8 parked on the drive.

On the same day the gang was behind another robbery, spraying a man in the face with acid and taking his £5,000 Rolex watch and BlackBerry as he made his way home along Claremont Road, Cheadle Hulme.

Five other members of the gang were also jailed. Mark Bresnahan, 26, of Bempton Close, Offerton, was jailed for 22 months after he admitted two counts of burglary.

Anthony Sampson, 23, of Clwyd Avenue, Edgeley, was caged for four years after he pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, attempted burglary and handing stolen goods.

Paul Shaw, 23, of Kirkstone Road, Middleton, was jailed for four years after he admitted three counts of burglary. The court heard he had rarely been out of prison since the age of 17 and had 'walked out' of an open prison where he was serving time for drugs offences to take part in the crime spree.

Christopher Carroll, 19, of Yewdale Drive, Middleton, was sent to Young Offenders' Institution for 16 months after he pleaded guilty to burglary, theft and even an attempted robbery on his 18th birthday.

Simon Carr, 19, of York Road East, Middleton, was sent to a Young Offenders' Institution for 16 months after he admitted theft, handling stolen goods and dangerous driving.

After the hearing, Det Sgt Melani Linton said: "Today's result is the culmination of a lot of hard work from officers all over the force.

"The victims were terrorised by a group who showed that they were willing to threaten violence to get what they wanted.

"This was a crime spree undertaken by an organised group of robbers. We would, however, like to reassure all of our communities that we have caught up with these offenders and that they now face a lengthy time behind bars.

"This result will, I am sure, send a strong message to anyone who tries to commit similar crimes.

"Greater Manchester Police is committed to safeguarding people from criminals such as these who do not hesitate to threaten people with violence to achieve their aims."
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