Portsmouth man jailed for three years and four months after admitting two burglaries and an attempted burglary in Waterlooville and Swanwick.

Andrew Evan Smith of Walmer Road in the city appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 18 September and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

On Friday 12 June a 73-year-old woman returned home to find a man she did not know standing in the hallway of a property on Catherington Lane in Waterlooville. He claimed he was fixing the front door before quickly leaving on a bicycle. The woman discovered that he had stolen cash and more than £1,000 of jewellery. He had also used cleaning products from the property to try to eradicate forensic evidence.

Two days later a 30-year-old man heard someone kicking the front door of a property that he was inside of on London Road in Waterlooville. He approached the door and spoke to the man on the other side briefly before the man left and rode away on a bicycle.

Then on Wednesday 17 June a 62-year-old woman returned home to a property on Swanwick Lane and discovered that someone had broken in and stolen cash and jewellery.

Thorough enquiries were undertaken by the Eastern Area Crime Team who secured CCTV and forensic evidence relating to the three incidents. Smith was subsequently arrested and charged with the two burglaries, which he later admitted at court. While in custody following this hearing he additionally admitted the attempted burglary after DNA evidence was presented to him.

During his sentencing hearing three other burglaries on Stakes Road in Waterlooville, Havant Road in Emsworth, and Swanwick Lane were also taken into consideration.

Investigating Officer DC Zoe Barker 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 illustrates the use of all investigative lines of enquiry to ensure that a prolific offender can no longer target people living in our local communities.

“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”.

We also wanted to take the opportunity to remind you of our burglary crime prevention advice:

• Shut all windows and lock them when you are not using the room, at night and when you leave your property
• Lock all front and rear doors at night and when you are out. If you have a UPVC door with a multi-point lock ensure you lift the handle and lock it with the key. Remove the key after the door or window is locked.
• Put all car keys and other keys out of sight and not in reach of windows and letterboxes; it doesn’t take much for the keys to be hooked through the letterbox. Place your keyless car keys in a Faraday pouch, which can block signals meaning would-be-opportunists can’t copy your car key and gain entry to your vehicle.
• Leave a light on so your home looks occupied if you are going out for the evening. If you head out while it is still daylight and won’t be back till after dark then timer switches (available from most DIY stores) can be useful for turning your lights, radios and other appliances on at a set time before you get back.
• Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of the property.
• Have an intruder alarm system installed. Ensure a visible alarm box is attached to the outside of your home. Also consider fitting security lighting.
• Use door chains and spy holes to give you extra security if someone knocks on your door. Never be afraid to turn people away. If you have concerns about anyone who has come to your door call the police.
• Record the details of your property such as serial numbers for electronic goods on the Immobilise website (https://www.immobilise.com/)

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/