Brothers who sold £100,000 of stolen Chain Reaction stock sentenced

Two brothers, both former employees of Chain Reaction Cycles, have been given an eight-month sentence for selling over £100,000 in goods taken from the e-tail giant.

Turning over a startling level of stock in a period ranging October 2012 to May 2013, Brian James Bowen shifted £88,000 of stock online. He has now been handed a six-month jail term.

His younger sibling, 33-year-old Alan Bowen, was handed an eight-month sentence, though this will be suspended for two years. In his case, £14,000 worth of goods was stolen and re-sold.

Having noted a significant loss of stock from its now sold Carrickfergus warehouse, CRC noted four traders on eBay with stock the lined up with missing items. At this point a company director made a test purchase, handing packaging to police for fingerprint tests. At this point Alan Bowen’s prints were discovered.

The proceeds from sales were deposited into mother Valerie Bowen’s bank account via Paypal. She denied involvement, with Brian Bowen later telling police that she acted under duress.

Catch the full account from court on the BBC.