SOME of Dorset’s most prolific burglars have been sentenced to a total of 56 years in prison in 2014, police said.
The 18 offenders were brought to justice by Dorset Police’s Priority Crime Team – specialist detectives based in Bournemouth and Weymouth dedicated to solving ‘acquisitive’ crime, such as burglary and vehicle crime.
Detective Inspector Andy Dilworth, of Dorset Police’s Priority Crime Team, said: “These prolific offenders are just a handful of burglars dealt with by the team this year as part of the ongoing Operation Castle initiative.
“Their offending has caused misery to homeowners and we hope the sentences handed out by the courts send out a very clear message that we will not cease in targeting known burglars. If you commit this crime in Dorset, we will be after you.
“I would like to reassure residents that reducing burglary is a force priority and dwelling burglary has fallen by 14.9 per cent in the last year, with 168 fewer homes broken into and victims.”
Dorset Police will be using a range of tactics during the Christmas and New Year period in a bid to reduce burglaries in the county – part of the force’s Christmas campaign ‘Don’t let thieves ruin your Christmas’.
They will target suspected offenders, step up patrols in vulnerable areas and clamp down on handlers of stolen goods.
In December 2013 and January 2014, Dorset Police made 138 arrests during their Christmas campaign.
DI Dilworth continued: “During Operation Castle we will continue to focus on targeting suspected offenders and work in partnership with other agencies such as probation and the health service. We have recently introduced a voluntary electronic GPS tagging system for our prolific offenders to assist their rehabilitation.
“I am urging the public to help us continue to reduce burglary offences in Dorset by making it hard for offenders to target their property.”
Security advice can be found on the Crime Prevention Portal on the Dorset Police website - http://CrimePrevention.dorset.police.uk.
The burglars jailed this year were:
Kevin Saunders, 28 – five years
Manny Barney, 34 – five years
Dean Turner, 24 – 40 months
Victor Cumberbatch, 49 – 44 months
Darren Lane, 37 – four years
Stephen Payne, 56 – three years
David Joseph Adams, 29 – three years
Derek Barrington Tulloch, 48 – 30 months
Danny Tony Brand, 32 – four years
David George Hinchey, 32 – three years
Gemma Anne McNichol, 27 – 40 months
Phillip Donald Nutley, 44 – 44 months
James Studley, 29 – 20 months
Leslie Dennis Marsh, 19 – 20 months
John Rocky Swanson, 32 – three years
Michael Douglas Johnson, 43 – 20 months
Samuel Cooper, 29 – 20 months
Nicholas Grant Edwards, 62 – three years
Dwelling burglary offences in Dorset for the past five years
Oct 2013: 148 Nov 2013: 145 Dec 2013: 115 Jan 2014: 158
Oct 2012: 171 Nov 2012: 146 Dec 2012: 164 Jan 2013: 118
Oct 2011: 161 Nov 2011: 155 Dec 2011: 201 Jan 2012: 175
Oct 2010: 152 Nov 2010: 149 Dec 2010: 215 Jan 2011: 221
Oct 2009: 153 Nov 2009: 160 Dec 2009: 175 Jan 2010: 168
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