A burglar who stole thousands of pounds worth of property from multiple burglaries in Bedford returned the car he had “borrowed” to transport his loot after he had finished using it.
Timothy Hall committed four burglaries between Friday, 26 and Monday, 29 May 2023, while people living at the properties were away for the bank holiday weekend.
CCTV footage captured Hall arriving at one of the properties around 9:45pm on the Sunday and leaving just after 11pm with holdall bags.
He then returned nearly two hours later in a red Citroen and re-entered the house, before loading the vehicle with more stolen property, which included designer clothes and electrical devices, and then driving away.
Detectives discovered that Hall had taken the car during another burglary and CCTV captured the vehicle’s movements overnight, including when it was parked opposite Hall’s address.
The owners returned the following Tuesday to find the car outside their home, but the spare car keys and various other items missing as a result of the break-in. A neighbouring property also reported a burglary over the same weekend.
Hall, 46, of Goldington Road, Bedford, was arrested at his home address on 20 June. Officers recovered property belonging to two of the victims.
Hall pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary and one count of taking a conveyance without consent at Luton Crown Court last month.
He was sentenced to three years and eight months behind bars on 13 September.
Operation Maze’s Detective Constable Kevin Howes, who led the investigation, said: “It’s incredibly important that we are meticulous in our investigations and gather as much evidence as possible to ensure we don’t miss anything, especially when dealing with unconventional cases.
“We recognise the psychological impact, as well as financial impact, that burglary can have on victims when perpetrators like Hall forcibly invade the safety and security of their homes.
“Our commitment to tackling burglary remains unwavering and we will continue to do all we can to ensure that those responsible face the consequences of their crimes.”
