Manchester men conspired to break into and blow up cash machines stealing £100,000, trial hears

Three men from Manchester conspired together to break into and blow up cash machines in the North West stealing over £100,000, prosecutors allege.

Matthew Doyle, Michael Waine and Daniel Grant are each on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of two attacks on the ATMs at train stations in Lancaster and Berwick Upon Tweed.

Mr Doyle, 40, Mr Grant, 40, and Mr Waine, 42, deny conspiring with others to enter Lancaster Rail station and steal from an automatic cash machine. Mr Grant and Mr Waine deny two further offences of conspiring with others to enter Berwick Upon Tweed train station and steal from an automatic cash machine; and conspiring with others to cause an explosion.

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Prosecutors allege that the men carried out two attacks, the first of which at Lancaster on October 11 2019, and the second at Berwick Upon Tweed on March 4 2020.

“They were sophisticated, professional and planned attacks,” prosecutor Peter Gilmour told jurors.

“The defendants all live in Manchester, and it is the case they travelled from Manchester to Lancaster and Berwick Upon Tweed with others to commit these attacks on the cash machines.”

The court heard that in the attack at Lancaster, crow bars and an angle grinder were used. It was ‘unsuccessful’, and they were not able to get away with the money, it was said.

Damage was caused to the machine, though, costing several thousands of pounds, jurors heard.

“The attack at Berwick was carried out using explosives,” Mr Gilmour continued.

“You will hear that this was successful and they were able to take over £100,000 from that machine. They also caused significant damage to the