Three men are jailed after a series of night-time house burglaries in Whitby. They stole cars, valuables, and caused distress.
The men entered several houses while people slept, searching for car keys and valuables. It all happened on a small town’s outskirts.
They drove back to Doncaster, eighty miles away, taking two stolen cars and an Audi. The haul included jewelry, cash and other items from the victims’ homes.
Police found one stolen car, a Ford S-Max, in West Yorkshire with false plates. It had equipment used to siphon diesel and Towland’s DNA inside.
Police stopped Towland in Bradford a month later, while he drove an Audi without proper insurance. He gave the police wrong information, and tools used in raids were under his seat.
Police linked the hidden tools to the house raids. Towland’s phone showed trips between Doncaster and Whitby, also connecting him to the other thieves.
At York Crown Court, the judge praised the “superb police work,” calling it “meticulous, thorough and careful.”
The three men admitted to their crimes. They pleaded guilty to five burglaries and two car thefts, which occurred in Whitby in April 2022.
Towland also pleaded guilty to another charge. He perverted justice in another case, leading to an incorrect conviction of a man driving without insurance.
Towland received a prison term of three years and eight months. He had 166 past convictions, including burglary, though his lawyer said he now has a job lined up.
Evans and Paton each got two and a half years in jail. Their lawyers stated they have young families and are trying to live law-abiding lives currently.
A detective, Steve Johnson, commented on the case. He said the group thought they could get away with theft, adding that police forces work together to bring travelling criminals to justice.
Detective Johnson said burglary’s impact is not only financial, but it also significantly affects a victim’s sense of security.