A shameless thief who taunted police with the phrase 'No face, no case!' after disguising himself with a balaclava, two hats, two coats, and rubber gloves has been jailed. Officers matched his clothing to CCTV footage of previous thefts.
The Disguise and Arrest
Perry Stanley, 33, wore these items hoping to evade detection during a police operation targeting a masked thief who stole bicycles from school grounds. He was arrested while loitering outside St Gregory’s Catholic High School in Warrington, Cheshire, peering through bushes. Despite goading officers and claiming his clothing was merely a high street 'fashion,' police matched his outfit to CCTV of an offender involved in earlier bike thefts at the same school.
Previous Offences
Further inquiries revealed Stanley had 53 previous offences, including similar bike thefts, fraud, and shoplifting. On the day one bike went missing, he had just received a suspended prison sentence for stealing another bicycle using an angle grinder.
Court Proceedings
At Warrington magistrates court, Stanley was convicted of two theft charges and one count of going equipped for theft. He was cleared of a fourth theft charge. The judge accused him of 'repeatedly exploiting' the vulnerability of schoolchildren whose bikes were left unattended during lessons. Stanley was sentenced to 42 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation.
The Police Operation
The operation began in March after staff at two schools reported bike thefts worth between £350 and £1,300. Prosecuting, Gayle McCoubrey described how CCTV showed a male forcibly removing bikes from racks at Great Sankey High School and St Gregory’s Catholic High School. Stanley was stopped on March 20 while looking through bushes near the school, wearing clothing matching the suspect. He denied being the thief, claiming it was 'just a coincidence' that his outfit matched and that 'multiple people buy those clothes.'
Evidence and Testimony
PC Barlow testified that she and a colleague saw Stanley in a balaclava, hooded top, padded jacket, gloves, and two hats on a hot day. When arrested, Stanley remarked, 'No face, no case.' Photos and video evidence showed his clothing, including a Berghaus bubble jacket with a distinctive logo, matching the thief on CCTV. Stanley insisted the clothes were 'fashionable' and could be worn by anyone, denying it was him on the footage. He claimed he was loitering to retrieve cannabis he had stashed in the bushes.
Judge's Ruling
District Judge Ian Barnes found Stanley guilty, noting his clothing was 'unusual for the weather' and matched that of the suspect. He highlighted Stanley's 'No face, no case' comment made before knowing the offence, indicating knowledge that the offender’s face was obscured. The judge concluded Stanley's denials were 'not credible.' Sentencing, he added: 'You targeted high value bikes and school premises. You had obviously determined that the school was vulnerable and you repeatedly exploited that vulnerability. This loss to young people is not just the value of the loss, it is often a loss to their identity.'
