Bedford burglar who stole a laptop, handbags and two vehicles has been sent to prison

He was sentenced on Thursday, April 29, at Luton Crown Court
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A burglar from Bedford, who pleaded guilty to a series of burglary related offences, has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Jamie Mann, 27, of Victoria Road, Bedford, was sentenced for multiple attempted burglaries and a car key burglary.

In the early hours of June 26, 2020, a number of attempted burglaries occurred in the Wixams area of Bedford, where Mann tried to enter properties without success.

Jamie MannJamie Mann
Jamie Mann

He then moved onto target properties in Kempston where he successfully entered a property and stole some vehicle keys, a laptop and two handbags along with the victims two vehicles.

Mann was captured on multiple CCTV devices in both areas, which put him at the location of the attempted burglaries and theft.

Multiple officers within Bedfordshire Police were able to identify Mann from his previous offences.

He was sentenced on Thursday, April 29, at Luton Crown Court to three years in prison.

Detective Constable Andrew Boston said: “We are pleased that Mann has taken responsibility for these crimes and are satisfied that he has received a custodial sentence.

"We hope that he takes time to reflect on his actions and choses a different path when he is released back into the community.

“This series of offences has left the victims feeling violated and unsafe in their own homes which is something that no home owner should have to feel.

"We will not tolerate this criminality in our county and will do all we can to bring such offenders to justice.

“If you would like more advice on how to reduce your chances of being a victim of burglary please visit our website."

What you can do to reduce your chances of being the victim of burglary:

- Use lights at home – use a timer when you are out, so it looks like someone is home.

- Secure all house and vehicle doors. If you have a UPVC door, make sure it is double locked.

- Keep all valuables and keys safely out of sight from windows, both in your home and car.

- Close the curtains when you have a light on indoors.

- Never leave garages or sheds unlocked. Not only can valuable tools be appealing to thieves, they can also be used to force entry to your home.

- Don’t hide your keys under a doormat or in a flowerpot – it’s the first place a would-be offender will look.

- Have a look at whether it is cost effective to install technology, such as CCTV or a video doorbell device, which helps deter burglars and can also provide further opportunity for investigation.

- Ask a friend to keep an eye on your house when you go away, and do the same for neighbours by remaining alert to suspicious activity in your street.

- If you spot someone behaving suspiciously, contact the police immediately.

To report a burglary, please call 101. If a crime is in progress, or you are in immediate danger, always call 999.