South London Burglars Jailed for Stealing £1m Weight-Loss Drugs

Key Points

• Mark Harding, 55, Robert Townsend, 59, and Peter Costello, 44, have each been jailed for five years and three months for burgling a pharmaceutical distribution site in St Albans.
• The trio broke into the Handley Page Way site on 24 January this year, climbing through an air conditioning duct and forcing open a walk-in fridge.
• Nearly £1 million worth of the weight-loss drug Mounjaro — precisely £944,544.89 — was stolen and has never been recovered.
• CCTV played at St Albans Crown Court showed two of the men, dressed in black and carrying torches, entering the building and spraying paint over security cameras.
• Townsend acted as a lookout and had reportedly scouted the premises a week before the break-in.
• Harding and Townsend also admitted possessing criminal property after police found £35,000 hidden in a picnic basket and £19,900 stashed behind an extractor fan.
• Judge Jonathan Mann KC said the burglary was “thought about in advance” and that “a great deal of money was made” from selling on the stolen drugs.
• Harding and Townsend received an additional nine-month sentence, to run concurrently, for the criminal property offence.
• Detective Sergeant Will Daglish of Hertfordshire Constabulary said the theft posed a “serious health risk to the public” because weight-loss drugs must be stored correctly.
• Proceeds of crime proceedings are set to follow in relation to the cash discovered at Townsend’s and Harding’s homes.

St Albans (Britain Today News) July 08, 2026 — Three burglars from South London have been jailed for five years and three months each after stealing nearly £1 million worth of the weight-loss drug Mounjaro from a distribution site.

Mark Harding, 55, Robert Townsend, 59, and Peter Costello, 44, carried out what a judge described as a “highly organised” and “sophisticated” burglary on 24 January this year. The trio broke into a pharmaceutical distribution site on Handley Page Way, St Albans, by climbing through a duct behind an air conditioning unit before breaking into a walk-in fridge.

On Wednesday, at St Albans Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Mann KC sentenced the three men after reviewing extensive CCTV footage of the incident.

What Happened During The Burglary At The St Albans Site?

CCTV shown in court showed Costello and Harding, both dressed in black, wearing gloves and carrying torches, climbing into the building through the air duct. The two men then moved quickly through the site and forced open a large refrigerated area, from which they began removing boxes of the weight-loss drug. Having left the premises, the pair returned less than two hours later to take further boxes.

The court heard that black paint had been sprayed over several CCTV cameras at the site in an apparent attempt to obscure the operation from view.

How Did The Burglars Gain Access Without Triggering The Alarm?

Judge Mann told the defendants that tools had been used to cut through the air conditioning unit, allowing Costello and Harding to enter the property. He said:

“Tools were used to cut through an air conditioning unit, which enabled Mr Costello and Mr Harding to enter the property. According to the prosecution, the two of you used a ledge in order to enter the property and to avoid setting off the alarms. Doing that must mean that you knew to do that, which means that this was thought about in advance.”

What Role Did Robert Townsend Play In The Offence?

According to the prosecution, Townsend remained outside the building throughout the burglary, acting as a lookout while Costello and Harding entered the site. Prosecutors told the court that Townsend had scouted out the premises a week earlier, gathering information that would later assist the pair in bypassing security measures.

What Was The Total Value Of The Stolen Mounjaro?

The stolen consignment of Mounjaro was valued at £944,544.89, according to figures presented in court. None of the weight-loss drug has been recovered since the burglary took place on 24 January.

How Much Cash Was Recovered From The Defendants’ Homes?

Police recovered substantial sums of cash from the properties belonging to two of the men. Some £35,000 in cash was found concealed in a picnic basket in Harding’s wardrobe, while £19,900 was discovered hidden behind an extractor fan in Townsend’s home. The court heard that all of the money recovered was believed to be connected to the burglary.

Judge Mann addressed the financial gain made from the offence directly, stating:

“I have no doubt in concluding that a great deal of money was made as an effect of the distribution of the Mounjaro.”

What Were The Defendants Charged With?

Costello, of Sydney Road, Sutton; Harding, of Chertsey Road, Feltham; and Townsend, of Lower Pillory Down, Sutton, were all charged with burglary following their arrest on 11 February. Harding and Townsend also admitted separate charges of possession of criminal property after cash was discovered hidden in their respective homes.

What Sentences Were Handed Down At St Albans Crown Court?

All three defendants were jailed for five years and three months each for the burglary. In addition, Townsend and Harding received nine-month sentences for the criminal property charge, which will run concurrently with their burglary sentences. Proceeds of crime proceedings are expected to follow in relation to the cash seized from Townsend’s and Harding’s homes.

The trio were watched from a packed public gallery filled with family and friends as their sentences were delivered.

Did The Defendants Dispute The Level Of Planning Involved?

On behalf of Harding, defence lawyer Graham Logan argued that his client “didn’t know the full extent of what was involved,” attempting to minimise the degree of sophistication attributed to the burglary by the prosecution.

However, Judge Mann rejected this argument, telling the court it “belies common sense” that any of the three men did not understand what they were involved in from the outset.

What Did The Prosecution Say About The Planning Behind The Burglary?

Prosecuting the case, Harrie Austin-Jones told the court that “there was advanced targeting and scoping of the building”, which had allowed the defendants to understand how to circumvent the site’s alarm systems before carrying out the burglary.

Do Any Of The Defendants Have Previous Convictions?

All three defendants had previous convictions recorded against them. Both Costello and Harding had previously been prosecuted for other burglary offences within the last decade, a factor that formed part of the sentencing considerations before Judge Mann.
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What Have Police And Prosecutors Said About The Case?

Detective Sergeant Will Daglish of Hertfordshire Constabulary welcomed the sentencing and highlighted the potential public health risk created by the burglary. He said:

“I am pleased that Townsend, Costello and Harding pleaded guilty in court and admitted these large-scale offences. This was a very serious crime – weight-loss drugs must be stored correctly and are dangerous if they are not administered in the right way. By breaking into the fridges storing the Mounjaro drug, their actions posed a serious health risk to the public. This was evidently a pre-planned and calculated burglary and they will now serve several years behind bars.”

Lawyer Sophia Malik, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said the case had been built on a wide range of evidence gathered during the investigation. She said:

“This was a carefully planned burglary involving high-value pharmaceutical products. The defendants went to significant lengths to avoid being caught but the evidence gathered through phone location data, automatic number plate recognition records and CCTV clearly linked them with the offences. Thanks to the strength of the case built by the prosecution and the police, all three men admitted their involvement and will now serve prison sentences.”

What Happens Next For The Defendants?

With sentencing now concluded, attention will turn to confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which are expected to determine what happens to the cash recovered from Townsend’s and Harding’s homes. The nearly £1 million worth of Mounjaro stolen during the burglary remains unaccounted for, and it is not yet clear whether any further action will be taken to trace the missing drugs.

The case highlights the growing black-market demand for weight-loss medications such as Mounjaro, which have surged in popularity in recent years, making pharmaceutical distribution sites an increasingly attractive target for organised criminal groups.