A Somerset man has been ordered to hand over more than £300,000 after a court ruled he profited from dealing in stolen agricultural and construction machinery.
Harry Hollowell, 27, of Yeovil, appeared at Bristol Crown Court on 8 October for a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing.
The judge imposed a confiscation order of £309,116.38, with almost £54,000 earmarked for seven victims who never recovered their stolen equipment or received alternative compensation. The remainder will be invested back into the criminal justice system.
Hollowell was first sentenced in December 2023, receiving a prison term of three years and two months after admitting conspiracy to handle stolen goods.
His conviction followed a police raid at a farm in South Barrow, near Sparkford, in October 2020. Officers uncovered 20 stolen machines at the site, with further equipment later traced as part of the investigation.
Enquiries revealed Hollowell had been purchasing stolen farm machinery from burglaries in the Sedgemoor area of West Somerset throughout 2020.
Alongside another defendant, he was also found to have bought and sold stolen plant equipment taken from Cardiff building sites the same year.
Ch Insp Joe Piscina, rural crime lead, said the thefts had a devastating effect on farmers: “The theft of plant and agricultural machinery and tools has a detrimental impact on the farming community, who already work tirelessly to provide for our communities.
"Hollowell’s actions cost the victims thousands of pounds in time and materials and it is brilliant that those victims will receive some compensation for their suffering.”
Det Ch Insp Carlos Filippsen, of the Financial Investigations Unit, said ensuring criminals do not profit from crime is a priority.
“Criminals, especially those who use the proceeds of their crimes to further commit offences, have a significant impact on our communities.
"We will continue to work hard to ensure individuals are not able to live off this money – such as by living in large houses, drive expensive cars, or enjoy a luxurious lifestyle at the cost of hard working members of the public.”
He added: “While it will not fix what happened, I hope receiving this compensation will go some ways to helping [the victims] recover from what happened.”
Rural crime continues to take a heavy toll on the UK countryside. In 2024, the estimated cost of rural crime stood at £44.1 million, down 16.5 % from the previous year’s £52.8 million, according to NFU Mutual.
Despite the drop, theft of agricultural vehicles came in at around £7 million, livestock theft at £3.4 million, and GPS unit thefts plunged 71 % to £1.2 million.
Quad bikes and ATVs remained prominent targets, with losses at £2.7 million. The figures underscore that rural crime remains a significant, evolving challenge for farmers.
