Pair sentenced after stealing Noah and the Whale’s gear

A pair of crooks caught with more that £100,000 ($160,000) of gear and “irreplaceable” vintage guitars stolen from indie band, Noah and the Whale, have been brought to justice. Their haul included a 1963 Fender Jaguar.

The band’s front man Charlie Fink said, “These instruments are not just stuff we can go out and buy again. So much of what is unique about our sound is because of them. They define us as a band.”

Their trailer, containing the gear, was stolen after their gig at Manchester Academy in September 2009.

Joseph Breeze, 41, described by the prosecution as a career criminal, was seen unloading the equipment from a van with his nephew Harold Breeze, 32, by police in Salford two days later.

The two men were joined by others who put the amplifiers, guitars and cases into another van which later drove away, the court in Manchester heard.

One amplifier was found in Joseph Breeze’s flat. The rest of the equipment was traced by police and found by officers at a barn in Lincolnshire, then returned to the band.

The judge ruled that neither man was involved in the theft of the equipment itself, but Joseph Breeze was jailed for four years after admitting handling stolen goods.

Harold Breeze pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for a year. He must also carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Lesley Newton told Harold Breeze: “Should you be so stupid as to commit a further offence you will be brought back before the court and punished.”

Source: Manchester Evening News