A PAIR of bungling thieves who tried repeatedly to steal an ATM in an early hours raid have been jailed.

Presiding Judge Nigel Daly compared the incompetency of David Begalov, 32, and Goga Kakitadze, 35, to something out of the 1910s Keystone Cops slapstick films.

Kakitadze had already admitted theft, going equipped for theft and attempted theft while Begalov was convicted of the same offences after a trial this month at Oxford Crown Court.

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They were both sentenced at the same court yesterday for the failed ATM theft at the BP garage in Abingdon's Vineyard on April 3.

Jailing the pair Judge Daly said: "The planning involved in this was not terribly well executed nonetheless there was planning.

Oxford Mail:

Begalov. Picture: Thames Valley Police

"Whether one could properly describe it as sophisticated is another matter but certainly some degree of planning was involved."

In CCTV footage of the botched raid, Begalov and Kakitadze can be seen tying up tow straps first to the ATM and then to the back of the blue Peugeot they used.

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The car was then seen to drive off at speed in an apparent attempt to break it free.

However, their repeated efforts, at about 1.30am in the morning, failed as the straps kept snapping under pressure.

Oxford Mail:

They eventually left the scene and police arrived shortly after, having been alerted by the machine's tampering alarm.

Police then saw the same car pass the petrol station at 4.37am, and followed it to Culham High Street.

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After the car was stopped and the men arrested an examination of the targeted ATM revealed a total of £5,890 still inside, with about £1,000 worth of damage caused to the machine.

In mitigation at yesterday's hearing the court heard that both men were illegal immigrants with Begalov from Russia and Kakitadze from Georgia.

Oxford Mail:

Begalov's defence barrister Andrew Bousfield called the offence 'impulsive' and said it 'didn't bear the hallmarks of any sort of professionalism.'

Alistair Grainger, representing Kakitadze, said his client had been a 'chancer' and was trying to rehabilitate while in prison.

Sentencing, Judge Daly said the incident was like something out of Keystone Cops - a slapstick series of silent films from the early 20th century.

Kakitadze was jailed for 18 months and Begalov two years, and each must pay a victim surcharge.