Man sentenced for series of burglaries

A 20-year-old man who committed a series of burglaries at coastal homes in Norfolk and Suffolk has been sentenced. Marcus Stewart, of Middlegate, Great Yarmouth, appeared at Norwich Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 24 March 2022) after pleading guilty to four counts of burglary. Stewart admitted to breaking into homes in Hemsby and Scratby on Monday 17 January and two properties in Southwold Road in Wrentham, Suffolk, on Thursday 13 January. The court heard that one of the homes targeted by Stewart in Wrentham belonged to an 88-year-old woman who was at home celebrating her birthday when the incident happened. Stewart entered the property through an open window and stole a large amount of jewellery from the victim’s bedroom. Stewart targeted a second property on Southwold Road and this time broke in after forcing a back door. A large amount of jewellery, much of which held sentimental value to the victim, was stolen along with cash. Five days after committing these offences, Stewart targeted two homes in The Glebe in Hemsby and California Avenue in Scratby where jewellery and cash was stolen. Following CCTV enquiries, Stewart was identified as a suspect in both sets of burglaries and arrested by police a few days later on 20 January. He was questioned by detectives at Great Yarmouth Police Investigation Centre and later charged. Stewart was sentenced to two years and four months detention in a Youth Offender’s Institution. Commenting on the sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Marley Jay-Symonds said: “Burglary is an intrusive crime, and we never underestimate the impact it can have on victims, which was evident in this series with large amount of jewellery stolen, some of which held great sentimental value to the victims. I’m pleased that through our investigations, we were able to secure Stewart’s sentencing and return a large amount of stolen property to the rightful owners.” Between his charge and sentencing, Stewart worked closely with Suffolk Police’s Operation Convertor team and went on to admit a further nine burglary offences which were taken into consideration. These offences took place in Southwold, Reydon, Bungay, Kessingland and Winterton. Detective Constable Barry Simpson from the Operation Converter TIC Unit said: "Stewart was visited while on remand in prison because it was clear there were numerous investigations in Norfolk and Suffolk that matched the circumstances of the offences for which he had been charged. He made voluntary admissions to further offences. Operation Converter is an initiative aimed at encouraging offenders to admit their crimes. This has benefits for all – police are able to give victims some peace of mind that an offender has been caught for the burglary of their home or the theft of their property and the individual has the opportunity to clear their slate so they can have a fresh start when they are released from prison, without the possibility they will later be traced for a further offence. Offenders have to give sufficient detail for officers to be sure they have committed the crime and these offences are then ‘taken into consideration’ at sentencing.