Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Five men have been jailed for their involvement in a plot to steal high-valued vehicles in West Lancashire and Merseyside.
Over 11 months, around 40 cars, vans and motorbikes were taken in keyless thefts where relay devices were used to bypass the vehicles’ security systems.
They were stolen in Ormskirk, Skelmersdale, Burscough, Wrightington, Liverpool and Southport between January and November last year.
The stolen vehicles were then either hidden in remote locations or had their tracking devices removed.
A Jaguar E Pace stolen in Skelmersdale in June 2025 was seen three days later bearing cloned registration plates and was pursued by our officers.
The pursuit was called off as the risk to the public was deemed too high, the Jaguar having gone the wrong way round a roundabout.
One of the defendants, Jason Miller, was behind the wheel – he bragged of doing so in a Snapchat group chat conversation which was found on his phone.
It was messages found on the phones of defendants following their arrests which helped build the case against them and showed them to be involved in the conspiracy to steal vehicles.
The five men appeared at Preston Crown Court last week (23rd July) for sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal.
James Miller, 23, (pictured top row left) of Langtree, Skelmersdale, who also admitted supplying cannabis and ketamine, was jailed for three years and eight months.
James McKeown, 23, (pictured top row middle) of Snowdrop Street, Liverpool, was jailed for three years and eight months. He further pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and handling stolen goods.
Ryan McNair, 39, (pictured top row right) of Willow Hey, Skelmersdale, was jailed for three years and two months.
Thomas Fleming, 26, (pictured bottom row left) of Moorgate, Ormskirk, was jailed for two years and two months. He also pleaded guilty to supplying cannabis.
Jason Miller, 24, (pictired bottom row right) of Inglewhite, Skelmersdale, was jailed for 22 months. He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.
Operation Warrior is our response to tackling serious and organised crime in Lancashire.
Tackling serious and organised crime is a force priority. It affects everyone, ruining lives, driving other crime and instilling fear in our communities.
Lancashire Police will relentlessly pursue those involved in organised crime, disrupting and dismantling their operations.
We will ensure those involved in serious and organised crime do not benefit financially from their activities by attacking their finances, making it harder to move, hide and use the proceeds of crime.