Terrifying thugs who targeted owners of expensive cars held man at gunpoint at 2.30am

A gang of violent thugs have been thrown behind bars after a spree of terrifying aggravated burglaries in Yorkshire.

Breaking into their victims' homes, the gang of thieves attacked [1] a woman in front of her elderly mother after masquerading as police officers. In another horrific raid, they held a man at gunpoint and threatened to kill his dog with a crowbar.

They targeted residents with newly-bought high-value cars and carried out aggravated '2-in-1 burglaries' by breaking in and then stealing the victims' car keys. They were eventually caught by police, with two of them found hiding in a hot tub in Doncaster [2].

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Ryan Wilkinson, 25, of St Edwins Drive, Dunscroft, Cyle Jenkins, 23, of Princess Avenue, Stainforth, and Adrian Askin, 28, of Poplar Road, Skellow, have been locked up. They were discovered by officers hiding in a hot tub just moments before their accomplice was found concealed in a nearby trailer.

The force were first notified of their criminal activity just after 11.30pm on October 21, 2024, after an aggravated burglary was reported at a home in Camblesforth [3]. North Yorkshire Police [4] have detailed their terrifying crimes.

The three masked men had entered a home after banging on the door, shouting "It's the police" while threatening to break in if the door was not opened. Once inside, they violently attacked the terrified woman in front of her elderly mother, demanding the key to her Audi RS3.

Violent thugs: Adrian Askin, Cyle Jenkins and Ryan Wilkinson -Credit:NYP

Although the group managed to locate the car keys and start the vehicle, the victim, despite being punched in the face, refused to provide the code to her immobiliser that she had installed as an additional layer of security, meaning the car would not start.

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Her persistent refusal meant the offenders fled empty-handed. Before leaving through the back garden, the men smashed the victim's mobile phone and took the landline telephone to stop her calling for help. However, she managed to alert a neighbour, who immediately contacted the police.

It was only after the ordeal that she recalled seeing a suspicious vehicle passing by her home the previous day as she cleaned the car.

The following evening, the group struck again in the Gilberdyke area of East Yorkshire and the Carlton area of North Yorkshire.

Humberside Police were alerted to the first burglary after the victim discovered that their back door lock had been forcibly removed and the blinds drawn back. Their car keys had been stolen, and with them, a Volkswagen Golf R parked outside, which had only been purchased three weeks earlier.

The burglars were caught hiding in a hot tub

In Carlton, the victim was awoken just after 2.30am by his dog barking. As he entered the kitchen, he was confronted by a masked man armed with a crowbar and firearm.

The intruder threatened to shoot him and kill his dog if he didn't hand over his car keys. They had broken in by damaging the lock on the side door to the house. Advertisement

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After taking the keys, they fled, stealing the victim's Volkswagen Golf R, also recently bought just three months earlier.

The victim did not realise at the time, but the gun which had been used to threaten him was his own air rifle, which was later found inside the stolen vehicle recovered from Gilberdyke.

Following intelligence work, the stolen vehicles were tracked travelling in convoy on false numberplates, and eventually seen heading towards Austerfield, Doncaster.

The burglars were caught hiding in a hot tub

Officers from all three forces were immediately dispatched to the area. PC Sam Egan-Wyer from South Yorkshire Police, using his local knowledge of routes commonly used by cross-border offenders, positioned himself with a stinger device, used to deflate vehicle tyres. As one of the vehicles passed, he deployed the device, successfully puncturing several tyres.

Despite this, the vehicle continued with deflated tyres and eventually on the rims.

It went off road and was temporarily lost before rejoining the A614 and heading onto a housing estate in Lindholme, Doncaster. It was later located with front offside crash damage. Advertisement

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As officers from the three forces began searching the area, with support of the National Police Air Service helicopter, an eagle-eyed member of public reported seeing men in a nearby hot tub.

The burglars were caught hiding in a hot tub

Footage released by North Yorkshire Police shows the moment that Wilkinson and Askin were tracked to a garden by a police dog unit where they were found soaking wet, hiding under a hot tub lid, while Jenkins was discovered concealed in a trailer in the same garden.

All three suspects were arrested and taken into custody and an investigation was launched.

Despite providing no comment during interviews, they were charged and later pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary in Carlton, burglary in Gilberdyke, and two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, and were remanded in custody.

Forensic evidence played a vital role in strengthening the case. In connection with the burglary in Camblesforth, a Crime Scene Investigator recovered key footwear impressions. These were matched to the suspects' trainers by staff at the Footwear Bureau, providing crucial evidence that led to an additional charge of aggravated burglary.

The burglars were caught hiding in a hot tub

The third suspect, Wilkinson, was linked to the aggravated burglary at Camblesforth after CCTV footage showed him walking with a leg brace at a nearby restaurant the day before the offence.

At the time, he was walking with a noticeable limp. A vehicle connected to Wilkinson was also captured scoping out the street shortly before the burglary. Further examination of the three offenders on CCTV showed one of them was walking with a limp, helping to strengthen the case.

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In total, all three defendants were charged with and pleaded guilty to: Two counts of aggravated burglary; one burglary; and two counts of theft of a motor vehicle.

They were sentenced to a combined total of almost thirty years in prison, on Friday, November 21, 2025, at Sheffield Crown Court. Wilkinson was sentenced to nine years and four months. Askin was sentenced to ten years.

Jenkins was sentenced nine years and four months.

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References

^ attacked (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
^ Doncaster (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
^ Camblesforth (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
^ North Yorkshire Police (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
^ signing up to our newsletter here. (www.examinerlive.co.uk)