Three men who burgled a house in Bournemouth while the occupants slept have been jailed.
Wayne Grant, 23, Terry Day, 24 and 20-year-old Robert Johnston – all of Southampton – were sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Tuesday 5 January after pleading guilty at the same hearing to burglary.
Grant was jailed for 30 months, Day for 20 months and Johnston was handed a 26-month jail term in a Young Offenders’ Institute.
The court heard that the trio broke into a house in Windham Road overnight between Friday 18 September and Saturday 19 September 2015.
The victim woke in the morning to discover her Vauxhall Corsa had been stolen. The occupants subsequently found that two iPads, a watch and handbag had also been taken.
It is believed the offenders gained access through an insecure window.
The Corsa was later recovered in Bristol after a short pursuit by road traffic officers from Avon and Somerset. However, the offenders fled the scene.
Fingerprints matching those of Grant and Johnston were found inside the car and a Dorset Police bail sheet containing Day’s name was found in the boot.
Detectives also found evidence on Day’s Facebook page linking him to the burglary. In particular, officers found a conversation on the same day of the burglary between Day and Grant in which they discussed a car chase in Bristol, a burglary where a watch was stolen and about robbing houses.
The suspects were arrested at the Carrington House Hotel in Bournemouth on Thursday 24 September.
Detective Constable Christian Bryant, of Dorset Police’s Priority Crime Investigation team, said: “I hope the sentences handed out by the courts act as a warning to others that such offences will not be tolerated.
“A burglary at your home is a distressing experience and this case highlights the importance of residents ensuring that their properties are secure at all times of the day and night.
“As many as one in three burglaries involve properties that have been left insecure. Please don’t make it easy for them.
“Residents can find out more about securing their homes and property at the Dorset Police Crime Prevention Portal – http://www.dorset.police.uk/default.aspx?page=5999.
“Dorset Police is committed to reducing burglary offences and bringing offenders to justice as part of the Force’s ongoing Operation Castle.”
