Motorsport Giant McLaren's HQ Burgled By Ex-Employee

A former McLaren employee, who sneaked into to the Formula One team’s base to steal thousands of pounds worth of car parts, has received a suspended prison sentence.

On three occasions Michael James Langton, 29, used another worker’s security access card to enter the McLaren Technology Centre in the early hours.

Langton, of Chapman Road, Croydon pleaded guilty to two counts of burgling the Woking HQ on July 24 and August 10, 2020 and three counts of fraudulently using the security card on those dates, plus a failed attempt on August 21.

“There is a degree of breach of trust,” Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court Judge Marcus Tregilgas-Davey told Langton. “You knew how you could get around the system.”

The court heard Langton, who was employed on a short-term contract by the motorsport giant in 2018, used the access card of an employee serving out their notice on gardening leave.

He was caught on CCTV searching through expensive car parts and was even challenged by security staff on one occasion, but had the security card giving him access to be there.

On the first occasion he arrived at 4.37am and drove away with McLaren car parts of an unknown value and returned nearly three weeks later at 3.54am and took £7,000 worth of parts.

When he turned up a third time at 3.58am access was denied and Langton was eventually identified and circulated as wanted and arrested at Gatwick Airport when returning from a Lanzarote holiday.

Prosecutor Ricky Blennerhassett told the court: “The defendant drove in using the access card and was captured on CCTV walking around the store area and on the first occasion placing a large box into a lift and taking two large body panels.

“A security guard even spoke to him and he returned to collect the box.

“The second time he was recorded removing a large box and collecting it from the loading bay.”

Langton’s lawyer Oliver Doherty said: “This was a spate of offending to settle a drugs debt. When he was arrested he made full and frank admissions to fraudulent use of the card to gain access to McLaren to remove car parts.

‘He had worked for McLaren fitting engine parts at their Woking base and is a hardworking young man.”

Langton claims it was while working at McLaren he came into contact with his cocaine dealer and after falling £20,000 into debt was provided with the access card by his supplier to steal expensive car parts.

He says his £100 per day cocaine habit began after a period of depression when his brother was electrocuted and lost his legs.

“He was given the pass and told what items to remove,” added Mr Doherty. “They were passed onto the person he owed the debt.”

Judge Tregilgas-Davey told Langton: “You were caught on CCTV rifling through car parts and you repeated using the same card that belonged to a worker and selected items and took them.”

Langton was sentenced to thirty-six weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years and ordered to complete 250 hours community service and pay £420 costs.

“If you are foolish enough to commit any further offences and appear in front of me, I will send you to prison immediately.”