Burglars jailed for spate of Shropshire home raids
Two men have been jailed for almost five years between them for a spate of burglaries across Shropshire in two weeks.
David Reece, 37, of no fixed abode, and Jamie Griffiths, 29, of Swan Street, Brierley Hill, were sentenced for the crimes at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Tuesday.
Reece, who has a history of offending, was sentenced to two years and five months, after admitting burglaries in Leegomery, Apley and Hadley in Telford.
He admitted handling stolen goods, for which he received a sentence of three months to run concurrently, for handling a gold watch that had been stolen by Griffiths in a separate burglary. That burglary happened in Wytheford Road, Shawbury. Griffiths was also sentenced to two years and five months.
Andrew Wallace, prosecuting, said that on June 29 Reece stole a laptop from a property in Leegomery. He was identified on CCTV by a tattoo on his leg. On July 2 he stole handbags, jewellery and perfume from a property in Eider Drive, Apley, and was again identified by CCTV.
Reece was part of a third burglary at a property in Hadley on July 3, but when police were called he fled.
Mr Wallace said Reece was on his third strike for this offence, due to his previous convictions.
Terrified
On July 11, a house in Shawbury was targeted, and this was the robbery that Griffiths pleaded guilty to. A woman returned home to her house at 5.30pm to find that the house had been burgled. She reported that she was terrified she might confront a burglar. A 40-inch Samsung TV was taken and a gold watch.
The main room was in a state of ‘disarray’, and had been ransacked said Mr Wallace, with drawers pulled out and clothes everywhere. Other items taken included an iPad Mini, handbags and items of jewellery.
On the same day, officers were called to Cash Converters in Wellington where Griffiths and a woman who is being sentenced separately were trying to sell the TV. The pair, along with Reece, were found in Wellington by police and were arrested. Reece was wearing the gold watch.
Robert Edwards, for Reece, said he realised his client had a history of offending.
He told the judge that his client was going blind and urged him to take that into account with the sentence.
Brendan Reedy, for Griffiths, said he had no convictions until the age of 19, when his brother died and he went off the rails.
Judge Peter Barrie said both men were on their third strike so the minimum sentence applied.
