BURGLAR brothers who broke into a Coventry home and stole thousands of pounds worth of cash and gold jewellery are now behind bars.
Patrick and Gerry Connors, both of Dovecote Drive, ransacked a house in Bloomfield Avenue last August and stole around £7,000 in gold jewellery and £1,300 in cash.
The brothers were caught on camera at the scene of the Bloomfield Avenue burglary.
Unbeknownst to them, they were caught on a CCTV camera which the homeowner had installed in the garage.
With the help of further CCTV footage, officers were able to identify the Connors brothers and began their search to arrest them.
When a van matching the description of the one used by them was found in September, Patrick was finally placed in cuffs on October 1, after attempting to run off from officers when they spotted his vehicle.
Brother Gerry was then arrested on October 9, with officers searching their house and finding a pair of tracksuit bottoms matching the ones he was seen wearing on CCTV.
Enquiries by the team also matched Patrick to another attempted burglary at a property in Woodway Walk in May that year.
The 35-year-old gained access to the shared property, damaging and forcing doors open before searching cupboards and ransacking the place. Nothing was reported stolen.
Patrick was charged with burglary with intent to steal and burglary dwelling and theft, and pleaded guilty.
Brother Gerry, aged 32, also pleaded guilty to burglary dwelling and theft.
Appearing together at Warwick Crown Court on May 1, the brothers were both jailed for their crimes.
Patrick was jailed for four years, and Gerry was sentenced to 27 months.
Det Sgt Jay Aston, who supervised the investigation, praised the dedication of his team in securing the convictions.
He said: “Residential burglary is a deeply invasive crime that can leave victims feeling vulnerable long after the physical damage has been repaired.
“My team worked tirelessly to gather the forensic and digital evidence needed to build a robust case, and I am immensely proud of their commitment to getting justice for the victims.
“Seeing these two individuals behind bars is a testament to that hard work and we hope it offers some peace of mind to those impacted by these offences.
“Burglary leaves victims feeling unsafe in their own homes, and Patrick and Jerry Connors showed a blatant disregard for the privacy of others, striking shared housing where multiple people were affected.
“Thanks to the CCTV provided by the victims and the diligent work of my officers, we were able to take these two off the streets of Coventry.”
Visit www.westmidlands.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime for more information on how to protect your home and keep your possessions safe.
