'Selfish' burglar locked up after breaking into Misterton woman’s house and stealing her car

Rian Thomas, 27, pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and handling stolen goods and was jailed for three years and ten months when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Monday, February 14.

The victim’s handbag, which contained her purse with bank cards inside it, was also taken after Thomas entered her home on the night of February 23, 2019.

When she woke up the next morning and checked her online banking she found that transactions had been made on her account overnight. She went to check her purse to make sure her cards were still there but couldn’t find her handbag.

At this point she realised her house and car keys were missing. She looked outside and saw her car was missing.

Following the break-in, Thomas, of Doncaster, was identified as he put fuel into the stolen Mini at a service station in Scunthorpe.

Investigator Mark Duncombe, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Burglary is an incredibly intrusive crime which can have a long-lasting and harmful effect not only to those who are victim to it, but their families and the local community as a whole.

"It is essential people like Thomas who commit these kinds of offences for their own selfish gains are held to account for their actions and that we send a strong message out to the public that burglary will never be tolerated within our communities.

"Ensuring people feel safe within their own homes is one of our main priorities as a force, with Nottinghamshire Police having two dedicated teams of detectives tasked specifically with tackling incidents of burglary.

“A lot of hard work has taken place across the force to prioritise reducing incidents of burglary and preventing offences from happening in the first place, so it is extremely pleasing to see that our ongoing efforts are making a tangible difference.”

Holly Ryan, 26, of Scunthorpe, was given a one-year community order and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days after she pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation.