Three people have been jailed and a fourth given a suspended sentence after attempting to claim £350,000 of items back on insurance after a burglary in Southsea in 2022.

At Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 22 May, Dean Ryan, 42, of Pitcroft Road was jailed for four years after he had previously admitted conspiracy to burgle, conspiracy to commit fraud, and perverting the course of justice. Gary Cleeve, 45, of no fixed address was jailed for three years after being found guilty of conspiracy to burgle. Emma O’Shea, 46, of St Peters Road on Hayling Island was jailed for two years and six months after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud, perverting the course of justice, and attempted witness intimidation. Emma’s mother Sarah O’Shea, 70, of Dolman Road in Gosport was handed a six month suspended sentence and 150 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

It was reported to us that at approximately 4pm on Sunday 20 March 2022 entry was gained to an address on Victoria Grove while the occupants were out. We launched an investigation that subsequently led to these prosecutions.

The court heard that £350,000 worth of jewellery and handbags had been stolen. It transpired that the burglary was arranged by Emma O’Shea’s boyfriend Dean Ryan and his associates Gary Cleeve. Ryan was with O’Shea at her stables while the burglary was undertaken by Cleeve. When Ryan and O’Shea returned to Victoria Grove, she realised that a window was insecure and knew she wouldn’t get paid by the insurance so asked Ryan to climb up on to the roof and smash the window. Her insurance policy had a stipulation that entry had to be forced and a window left open would have made it void.

Hampshire polices investigation subsequently led to Ryan and Cleeve being arrested and charged, Emma O’Shea told officers that she refused to accept Ryan’s involvement. During the initial trial in July 2023 O’Shea and Ryan agreed that she would fly to Barbados during the trial so that she was out of the jurisdiction of the UK and couldn’t be compelled to give evidence against him although she had been served with a witness summons. Ryan also passed on messages via Emma O’Shea’s mother Sarah O’Shea who encouraged her to stay out of the country and delete messages on her phone. Emma O’Shea was arrested on her return to the UK.

Investigating Officer PC Kevin Parker from the Eastern Area Crime Team said: “This complex investigation led to O’Shea, Ryan and Cleeve’s stories unravelling as they tried to evade justice in an attempt to fraudulently claim insurance money. We take burglary reports seriously and their actions have taken time and resources that would otherwise have been available to genuine burglary victims. I’m pleased that this sentence sends a clear message that we deal robustly with such offences.

“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.