Prolific Luton burglar who stole £18,000 worth of jewellery and electrical goods sent to prison

A man from Luton, who pleaded guilty to burglary, has been jailed for nearly two-and-a-half years after he was identified on CCTV footage.

Tommy Walpole, 37, of Dewsbury Road, was jailed for carrying out a burglary at a house in New Bedford Road, in September 2020.

At around 10.30am, Walpole broke into the address through the conservatory, and stole around £18,000 worth of jewellery and electrical goods, including family heirlooms.

He was captured on the occupant’s home CCTV system, when he fled through the front of the property.

A detective was able to identify Walpole from the CCTV footage due to his local and specialist knowledge, which led to his quick arrest.

Walpole was sentenced at Luton Crown Court on Friday, September 10, to 28 months and 21 days for one count of burglary.

Detective Constable Jason Wheeler, who identified Walpole on the CCTV and led the investigation, said: “Walpole has targeted this property for personal gain, and has stolen sentimental, and expensive jewellery which has never been recovered.

“The victims have not only had a number of expensive possessions stolen, but they have also lost photographs which can never be replaced.

“If it wasn’t for the victim's CCTV then Walpole might have never been identified, which shows the value that they can add.

“We will continue to work hard to bring offenders who target people’s homes to justice.”

If you have been affected by crime you can contact Signpost for free and confidential support, whether the crime has been reported to the police or not.