Two brothers have been sentenced to jail for a burglary that resulted in the theft of Pokémon cards valued at £62,000. Shane Johnson, 37, and Keith Johnson, 33, broke into Celestial Collectables, a specialist retailer of rare Pokémon trading cards in Warrington, on April 8.
The pair used a crowbar to smash the shop's window and gain entry. Inside, they damaged shelving and cabinets, scattering collectibles across the floor. The value of the stolen cards exceeded £62,000, with an additional £3,000 in damages to the premises.
Pokémon cards, originally intended for children, can command high prices in the collector's market, with some rare cards selling for millions of pounds. For instance, a 'Pikachu Illustrator' card was sold for $16,492,000 (£12 million) in February.
Shane Johnson, who has no fixed abode, was sentenced to 45 months and four weeks in prison. He pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal. Keith Johnson, from Birmingham, received a sentence of 29 months behind bars. He pleaded guilty to the same charges.
The brothers were also involved in a separate burglary at The Graded Gallery in Rugby, where they stole Pokémon cards and other items. They fled the scene in a Nissan X-Trail. The combined value of the stolen goods and damages from this second incident exceeded £9,000.
Investigators used CCTV footage to identify a white Ford Transit van involved in the Rugby burglary, although it was fitted with cloned number plates. This van had previously been seen parked outside Keith Johnson's address. After the Ford Transit broke down, the brothers transferred the stolen items to a second vehicle, which was later found near Shane Johnson's home. The stolen property was ultimately recovered from Keith Johnson's address.
Detective Constable Hannah Smith stated that the evidence collected placed the brothers at both crime scenes, leaving them with no option but to plead guilty. Shane Johnson was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, while Keith Johnson was convicted at the same court on July 2.