Pair jailed for more than 12 years combined following a cross-county burglary spree

Ashley Simpson, 32, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of burglary.

Timothy Wilson, 34, formerly of Woodfield Road, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of burglary, two counts of attempted burglary and two counts of theft.

Simpson was locked up for seven years and Wilson for five years and four months when they appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday ( September 28) for sentencing.

It followed a Nottinghamshire Police investigation into a series of house burglaries which happened between January 4 and March 15 across the three counties. In a number of the cases Simpson and Wilson stole car keys from the properties before stealing the vehicles.

The court heard how Simpson and Wilson also stole electrical items and jewellery from the homes they had broken into.

The pair used a car which they stole from a property in Lambley Road, Lowdham, on January 21, in a number of the other burglaries, with the car displaying cloned number plates from matching vehicles.

The stolen car was recovered in the Bestwood area of Nottingham on February 6. Officers found two sets of number plates and some screws used to fasten them to the bumper. Wilson’s DNA was found on the screw.

Officers found a black bin bag inside another car, stolen from a property in Cartwright Close, Melbourne, Derbyshire, on February 14 and which was used in other burglaries. Wilson’s fingerprints were found on the bag.

The court also heard how Simpson was identified from CCTV footage at one of the burglary scenes and a large amount of stolen property was recovered from the address where he was arrested. Mobile phone enquires showed that Simpson was at the location of all 18 burglaries he was charged with. Mobile phone evidence also linked Wilson to multiple burglaries.

The 18 burglaries were committed at the following locations:

Lambley Road, Lowdham, Nottinghamshire (21 January 2018)

Barkestone Lane, Plungar, Leicestershire (30 January 2018)

Lightning Grove, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire (30 January 2018)

Admiral Close, East Leake, Nottinghamshire (31 January 2018)

Main Street, Gibsmere, Bleasby, Nottinghamshire (1 February 2018)

Ruby Court, Southwell, Nottinghamshire (12 February 2018)

Haddon Crescent, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire (13 February 2018)

Nicker Hill, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire (13 February 2018)

Cartwright Close, Melbourne, Derbyshire (14 February 2018)

Burton Lane, Whatton, Nottinghamshire (16 February 2018)

Catfoot Lane, Lambley, Nottinghamshire (between 18 and 20 February 2018)

Beaumont Avenue, Southwell, Nottinghamshire (23 February 2018)

Wymeswold Road, Thorpe-in-the-Glebe, Nottinghamshire (4 March 2018)

Lady Gate, Diseworth, Leicestershire (6 March 2018)

Wellin Lane, Edwalton, Nottinghamshire (7 March 2018)

Falcon Way, East Leake, Nottinghamshire (7 March 2018)

Kirkland Close, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire (8 March 2018)

Musters Road, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire (12 March 2018).

Simpson was jailed for six years for each count of burglary, to be served concurrently. He also received a 12-month prison sentence, to be served consecutively, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving. He was banned from driving for six-and-a-half years and told he must take an extended re-test.

Wilson was jailed for five years and four months for each of his counts of burglary, to be served concurrently. He also received three-year prison sentences, to be served concurrently, for two counts of attempted burglary, and two-year sentences, to be served concurrently, for two counts of theft.

Speaking after their sentencing Detective Constable Stuart Kirkham said: "We take reports of burglary very seriously, but they can be difficult crimes to investigate as the more experienced offenders tend to leave very little evidence behind.

"This sentencing is a result of weeks of hard work by various individuals across Nottinghamshire Police. Simpson and Wilson were responsible for a large number of offences over a relatively short period of time, so having them in custody may have prevented an untold number of similar burglaries being committed."

Burglary is a priority for Nottinghamshire Police which introduced new burglary teams in April to tackle the issue in the city and county.

Detective Inspector Steve Wragg, who leads the Force’s County Burglary Team, added: "We want to reassure the people of Nottinghamshire that we will continue to pursue those committing burglaries and remain committed to catching those responsible and bringing them to justice.

"The impact of burglary isn't just financial, it can also have a significant impact on victims’ emotional well-being and sense of security. Even if nothing has been stolen, the thought of a stranger being in your home can be very distressing and feel like a violation of your security, leaving victims feeling unsafe in their own homes.

"We remain committed to taking burglars off our streets but we still need people to help us by reporting any suspicious activity to us and reviewing their own home security to make themselves less of a target."