Criminal brothers shot taxi drivers in the New Forest with ball bearings

Dillon Alan Cooper, 21, and Thomas Edward Cooper, 21, both of Burnt House Lane, Bransgore, caused extensive damage to a taxi by firing ball bearings at it on 28 February 2023.

The incident, which occurred shortly after 11am on Burley Road in Bransgore, also involved fear of violence being put on the driver.

At the verdict on Tuesday at Southampton Magistrates Court, both brothers were ordered to pay the victim £650 each in compensation.

Dillon Cooper also pleaded guilty to stealing camping equipment and tools worth thousands of pounds from a vehicle in Emery Down shortly before 4pm on 25 June 2023.

Items worth £3,500 were stolen in the incident on Bolderwood Road. He was ordered to pay £2,746.62 compensation to the victim.

The pair, who had already pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at the same court on Thursday 25 July, were each sentenced to 18 months community detention.

Thomas Cooper will be required to complete a maximum of 15 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also convicted of two counts of assaulting a police officer and a police sergeant in Burnt House Lane on January 26, 2023.

Dillon Cooper is required to attend a maximum of 20 days of rehabilitation activities and complete 270 hours of unpaid work.

After the verdict was announced, Crown witness Katherine Gillingham said: “I am pleased for the victims of these cases with the positive outcome in court.”

“The Cooper brothers will now have to face the consequences of their actions and compensate those against whom they committed crimes.

“We will never tolerate such behaviour and criminality and we will always work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes.

“This should serve as a reminder to other offenders that we will always try to bring you to justice.

“You must not be allowed to get away with stealing, damaging property, putting innocent citizens in fear for their safety and attacking police officers in the line of duty.”