Having covered one of the busiest criminal courts in the country for several years now there are few cases that surprise me. But occasionally I hear something so extraordinary come out of the prosecutor’s mouth it sounds too outlandish to be true.
I have reported on a number of cases throughout the years that would have made passable film scripts. Indeed, I’ve covered some which have become the subject of television documentaries.
But in 2024 there were a handful of cases where the facts bore striking resemblance to well-known Hollywood films. In some it would appear the crooks have taken intentional inspiration from big screen characters while in others it may just be a coincidence. Scroll through our list of cases this year which felt like they were ripped from the cinema.
Home Alone
(Clockwise from top left) Lee Fletcher, David Smith, Adam Shakespeare, Royston Hallard and David Williams
(Image: West Midlands Police)
Five men arrogantly called themselves the ‘Sticky Bandits’ after the bungling burgling duo of Harry and Marv in Home Alone. They spray-painted sarcastic messages such as ‘ha ha ha’ and ‘Merry Xmas’ as they struck at ten businesses in Birmingham, the Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire.
The group stole more than £1.5m worth of vehicles and materials, but also wracked up £200,000 of damage and caused the firms £800,000 of extra losses. The five men admitted conspiracy to burgle.
Adam Shakespeare, aged 31, was jailed for six years and five months. David Smith, 36, Lee Fletcher, 33, and Royston Hallard, 30 were all sentenced to six years and four months. Finally, David Williams, 44, received three years and four months
Fast and Furious
Ahzi Nagmadin
(Image: West Midlands Police)
Two men and a woman were jailed for organising ‘Fast and Furious’ style street races in and around Birmingham. Instagrammers Azhi Nagmadin and Rashani Reid promoted illegal meets through their respective pages, ‘Forza Birmingham’ and ‘Birmingham Outlaws’.
While Jessica Roberts also organised events through group chats on her phone. In a series of incidents between 2020 and 2021, supermarket car parks were taken over, shops were forced to close, and pedestrian crossings were used as race checkpoints. Members of the public who regularly witnessed meets on their doorstep said they felt like moving house.
Nagmadin, aged 24, from Bartley Green and Roberts, 30, from Northfield, were both jailed for three years while Reid, aged 32, from Lozells received four years and two months. All three admitted a common law offence of causing a public nuisance.
Indiana Jones
Jailed: Craig Tombs
(Image: WMP)
The aptly named Craig Tombs stole 300-year-old relics including silver plates and goblets dating back to the 1700s. But that is perhaps where the similarities with globe-trotting archaeologist Indian Jones come to an end.
Rather than raiding temples in a far-away land for the greater good, instead greedy Tombs targeted St. Nicolas’ Church in Kings Norton during a ten-month burglary spree. The 42-year-old also broke into homes stealing jewellery, antique dining sets and a car.
Tombs smashed stained-glass windows to gain access to the 13th century St. Nicolas’ Church. The 19 items he stole, which were not recovered, included a pewter jug with lid, a silver shell, small oil pots, chalices, patens, ciborium, lidded box and vases. One of the most unusual pieces was a verge made by Birmingham silversmith Eric Clements.
Tombs of no fixed address, admitted multiple counts of burglary and was sentenced to ten years.
Catch Me if You Can
Zahid Khan in the cockpit of a plane
(Image: Birmingham Mail)
Notorious fugitive Zahid Khan was finally put behind bars, having fled the country to Dubai in 2018 as a jury deliberated over his £500,000 licence plate scam. Like Catch Me If You Can’s protagonist Frank Abagnale junior Khan was a fraudster who presented himself as successful.
He also escaped justice for several years as he rubbed authorities’ nose in it by jetting around as a pilot. Khan had been convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud, transferring criminal property and perverting the course of justice in 2018 and sentenced to ten years in his absence.
The plot involved trying to register expensive personalised number plates, which belonged to other people, in his own name or those of accomplices in order to sell them on. Scottish lottery winner Gillian Bayford was among the victims he defrauded.
In a separate case he was handed a 30-month sentence for human trafficking offences in Kent. The 38-year-old from Moseley often boasted on social media about his life on the run, including numerous celebrity encounters.
Khan travelled to Turkey in 2021 and was extradited to the UK in December last year. He ultimately admitted a charge of failure to surrender for fleeing the country six years ago and was handed an additional four weeks to run consecutive to the previous jail terms he is now belatedly serving.