Two men have been jailed for burglaries in Melbourn and Royston after one was identified from CCTV footage – and the other claimed to have disturbed the ‘real’ culprits.
Kevin Day and Graham Willis walked up to the property in Back Lane, Melbourn, on October 19 last year before masking their faces and kicking their way in through a back door.
Once inside, they ransacked a bedroom, turning out wardrobes and drawers – and stole a watch worth thousands of pounds, along with cash, digital tablets, mobile phones, and other watches.
Before covering their faces, they were caught on CCTV, which lead to Willis – of Milton Close in Royston – being identified by a police officer.
The 57-year-old was arrested in Hertfordshire on November 1 and was remanded in custody. But Day, of Clear Crescent in Melbourn, went on to commit another burglary in Newmarket Road in Royston on November 16.
This time he again broke in through a door but was disturbed by a builder working at the property.
Day claimed to have disturbed two burglars himself – and even gave descriptions and spoke to police over the builder’s mobile phone, giving a false name.
However, Day then made off along the A505 towards Royston and was seen driving away in a blue Ford Mondeo.
Later that day, he was stopped and arrested by police in Meldreth’s Station Road.
Willis and Day both denied the first burglary, and Day also denied the second. However, both pleaded guilty on their first day of trial and were sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Tuesday.
Both received three-and-a-half year sentences for the first burglary, while 48-year-old Day received an extra three months for the second.
Det Con Martyn Willis, who investigated, said: “These offences showed Willis and Day had no respect for other people’s property. They denied the offences, despite the CCTV evidence, right to the last and only came clean as they were about to stand trial.
“Burglary is a crime that has a devastating effect on victims and it is a force priority to catch offenders and put them before the courts.”
In March the force launched Operation Aware, which is tackling burglary by targeting offenders and urging homeowners to take “one more step” to improve their home security.
See www.cambs.police.uk/A-Z/Burglary for burglary prevention advice.
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