‘Brazen’ criminals jailed after stealing around £1 million-worth of motorbikes

Three men who bragged about stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds-worth of motorbikes on social media have been jailed.

Marshall Thomas, Sonnie Davies, Cameron Stevens and Brandon Carter, aged 18, 20, 22 and 22 respectively, were sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison at Bristol Crown Court today (Friday 3 July) after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

Thomas, Carter and Stevens offences were predominantly linked to the handling and theft of motorcycles.

They were convicted alongside Davies who, with Thomas and Carter, kidnapped and carried out an extremely violent assault on a 15-year-old child on 30 July last year.

The four men were sentenced for the following offences which took place as early as June last year through to one of the most significant points of the case on 8 December:

Marshall Thomas, formerly of Honey Garston Road, Hartcliffe, Bristol –

• Conspiracy to handle stolen goods
• Conspiracy to steal
• Assault causing grievous bodily harm
• Possession of a firearm of length less that 30cm/60cm – prohibited weapon / possess a firearm without certificate / possess a firearm when prohibited for five years
• Possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class B
• Kidnapping
• Assault causing actual bodily harm
• Dwelling burglary
• Attempted robbery

Brandon Carter, formerly of Greenditch Avenue, Hartcliffe, Bristol –

• Conspiracy to handle stolen goods
• Conspiracy to steal
• Dangerous driving
• Assault an emergency worker
• False imprisonment
• Assault causing actual bodily harm
• Attempted robbery

Among other offences being taken into consideration, an incident of violent disorder involving Carter and Thomas was also considered by the judge during sentencing.

Cameron Stevens, formerly of Lampton Grove, Hartcliffe, Bristol –

• Conspiracy to handle stolen goods
• Conspiracy to steal
• Section 20 assault causing grievous bodily harm
• Attempted robbery

Sonnie Davies, formerly of Maidenhead Road, Hartcliffe, Bristol –

• Assault causing actual bodily harm
• False Imprisonment
• Breaching of a suspended prison sentence

‘Blatant and gloating’ criminals committed thefts in broad daylight

The offences took place throughout 2025 and between £600,000 and £1million-worth of motorcycles and mopeds were identified as being stolen by the Thomas, Carter and Stevens.

The defendants were calculated and organised in their approach, using stolen bikes to hunt in areas known for having high-value motorcycles parked there in broad daylight.

Members of the public or victims who attempted to step in and stop the theft from happening would be threatened by the defendants.

They went armed to steal, with tools to overcome steering locks, immobilisers and physical locks.

On one occasion, in September, Thomas, Stevens and Carter attempted to rob one victim outside Ashton Gate Stadium. During the incident, the victim sustained cuts to his ear which required stitches.  

The court was then told how, after stealing the bikes, the trio would take them to a ‘safe’ location, remove and replace any security systems and immobilisers and then sell them, often advertising them for sale on social media.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Rich Fear said: “As if their actions were not bad enough, the three defendants then had the audacity to boast and gloat about their crimes on social media, being brazen and over-confident enough to believe they would get away with it.

“The financial and emotional implications their actions cost the victims cannot be overstated. For many, their motorcycles and mopeds will be their livelihoods, passion, and main form of transport to get to work or to socialise.

“By bragging about their crimes on social media, they demonstrated a complete disregard for the harm and distress they knowingly inflicted on their victims and the wider motorcycle community.”

Crimes didn’t stop at motorcycle theft

Thomas and Carter were additionally sentenced alongside Davies for the part they played in the kidnapping and false imprisonment of a 15-year-old child.

They believed the child was responsible for ‘stealing’ one of ‘their’ motorcycles from their ‘safe location’.

The court was told how the three defendants had kidnapped and subsequently held the teenager against their will, filmed themselves assaulting, beating and stamping on the child, leaving serious cuts across their face and head. The psychological implications it has had on the victim were significant.

The police investigation

Motorcycle theft has been an ongoing priority for Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Bristol for several years, with officers understanding the significant impact the crimes were having on the victims and wider community.

However, as individual crimes, officers often faced challenges to locate sufficient evidence to track down and prosecute the criminals involved.

Previously, it couldn’t be confirmed that the offences were being committed by the same group. It wasn’t until one incident on 8 December last year when officers could understand the sheer extent of their criminality.

On this day, Thomas and Stevens attempted to conduct reconnaissance and steal motorcycles from a business in Bridgwater Road when a member of the public intervened to stop them.

Stevens dismounted the bike, punched them and attempted to stab them with a screwdriver.

Thankfully the victim was wearing a padded jacket which meant they did not sustain any life-threatening or life changing injuries which could have otherwise been far more serious and they have been supported by officers throughout the investigation.

It was following this key incident that officers were able to piece together the extent of the group’s offending utilising significant amount of police resources, investigator experience and inter-department collaboration to enable this successful prosecution.

Insp Fear added: “This investigation has seen a significant amount of police resources being utilised over the past year to investigate and bring the offenders to justice.

“This type of crime has had a devastating impact on the motorbike community in Bristol. We often see, in cases like this, where adults and older teenagers use younger teenagers to commit the offences alongside them under implicit or direct threats, which furthers the cycle of serious criminality and youth violence.

“We are committed to reducing crimes of this nature and the harm often associated with them, as well as disrupt those involved in or enabling serious youth violence and organised crime.

“I would like to take this moment to also recognise the roles played by the general public. We have been supported in our enquiries by both the local motorcycle and residential communities and, thanks to some of the intelligence they provided, alongside the evidence gathered by our officers, it is my hope that Thomas, Carter, Stevens and Davies all serve a significant amount of time in prison for their roles in this complex crime spree.”

Victims feel ‘violated’ as their pain ‘glorified’ on social media

Victims of the motorcycle theft have been significantly impacted by the actions of Thomas, Carter and Stevens.

One victim took the stand during the sentencing and told the court about the significant impact the theft of his motorcycle has had on his life.

His bike was stolen from outside a train station after he use the bike to get to work. Thankfully, he was one of the lucky ones who’s bike was recovered by officers the same day.

He said: “I had to replace missing items and deal with damages. This happened during a difficult time for my family as I had just returned from parental leave a few days before the theft. We had saved carefully to fund the leave period so, at the time of the theft, our finances were already stretched.

“This offence hit us at a point when we had very little room to absorb unexpected costs. The financial impact was not just inconvenient but deeply destabilising for my family.”

His bike was his primary mode of transport and its loss meant his ability to get to work and to other places were impacted.

He added: “The emotional impact has also been significant. This offence caused me considerable anger, stress and anxiety. It has left me more worried about the motorcycle being stolen again and less secure in day-to-day life. Since the theft I have spent further money on additional security for the bike, including a new D-lock, chain and brake lock, on top of the security devices I already had. I felt I had no real choice but to do that. That is a direct result of what happened.

“I also became aware after the theft of a video circulating on social media which showed my motorcycle in the possession of others, with music added in a way which, to me, appeared to glorify what had been done. Seeing that was deeply upsetting. I felt angry, humiliated and personally affronted.

“At a time when I was dealing with the financial and practical consequences for my family, seeing my property and the offence that led to it being taken treated in that way made the whole experience feel even more violating.”

Long prison sentences

At the hearing, the following sentences were given to each defendant:

• Thomas – 10 years
• Carter – eight years. He was also disqualified from driving for six years.
• Stevens – three years
• Davies – three years

In his sentencing remarks, His Honour Judge Blair said: “Your attempts were bold, taking place in broad daylight in public areas. You took with you angle grinders and screwdrivers to commit the offences. Passers-by had to observe you and wonder whether to get involved and, those who did, were threatened.

“You then glorified your actions by uploading TikTok videos. I’ve watched the videos of your extraordinary boldness and complete lack of remorse at the time and listened to a series of moving victim statements from people whose lives you’ve ruined.”