A prolific burglar from Gosport has been jailed for a total of six years following two separate burglary series in the town.

Jordan William Ruston, 25, of Howe Road was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 29 May after admitting nine offences.

Overnight on the 29-30 June 2023 a flat at the Anchorage in Gosport was entered and electronics and a bank card were stolen. On 2 July 2023 two properties on Tukes Avenue and a third on Brookers Lane were burgled and electronics equipment and bank cards were taken. Usage of the bank cards and DNA evidence linked the burglary to Ruston alongside a Nintendo Switch from Brookers Lane that had been gifted as a present by Ruston. He admitted all four offences and was sentenced to three years in prison for these burglaries.

On 4 November 2024 a house at Village Close in Gosport was broken into and a purse was stolen. Jewellery was also stolen from a property on Gosport Road in Stubbington and rings and airsoft equipment were stolen during a break-in at St Nicholas Avenue in Gosport. Property from two of these burglaries was subsequently located at a pawnbrokers shop. The following night electronics, bank cards and a knife were stolen from a property on Totland Road and electronics, jewellery and a moped were stolen from a property on Magennis Road. The moped was later found dumped in a pond close to Ruston’s home. He later admitted the five burglaries and possession of offensive weapons (a knuckle duster and telescopic baton) at his home address and was sentenced to a separate consecutive jail term of three years for these offences. A forfeiture order was also made for the weapons.

Investigating Officer DC Paul Osborne from the Eastern Area Crime Team said: “This is a significant sentence that sends a clear message that we deal robustly with burglary offences and those that choose to break into people’s properties. Burglary is a serious offence as it can be linked to, or fund, other forms of criminality. This result is positive news for our communities in Gosport who are no longer at risk from Ruston’s prolific offending.

“Our homes are spaces where we should feel the most safe, and for someone to brazenly invade that space can leave a long-lasting scar. Burglary can have a profound impact on victims. I would urge anyone who has been a victim or who sees anything suspicious that could be linked to a burglary to report it to us”.

For more information on how to protect your home from burglary, visit our crime prevention page: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/

We will continue to relentlessly pursue criminals so that their lives, not those of local people, are a misery  and we want people to feel confident to report crime to us.