A burglar and his accomplice are behind bars following a series of offences across the southeast.

Between 3 October and 8 November 2023, a string of residential and business burglaries occurred across Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Thames Valley, Avon and Somerset, and Wiltshire, often with multiple offences taking place each night.

Homes with high performance or 4x4 vehicles parked outside would be targeted and the keys and cars stolen. In some cases, the houses were also burgled with high value jewellery taken. The offenders fitted getaway cars with stolen number plates to try and avoid detection.

There were also several “smash and grab” offences at cigarette kiosks and on freestanding cash machines (ATMs) using crowbars, angle grinders, or even the stolen cars to ram their way into shops.

CCTV from these offences shows industrial waste or construction bags stuffed to the brim with cigarettes before being hauled out of the store to a waiting vehicle.

When targeting cash machines, a length of blue strapping would be secured around the machine and attached to a stolen 4x4, which was then floored to try and drag it out – often destroying the whole store in the process.

At one cigarette break in Petworth in November, officers arriving at the scene had a crowbar thrown at them before the offenders raced off with their boot open sending stolen goods flying all over the road. 

At other times they rammed police cars to make an escape but as the investigation progressed the net started to close in.

Dean Beldom, 32, of Burnham, Buckinghamshire, became the key suspect after he was forensically linked to several of the offences. His brother, Andrew Smith, 38, of New Haw, was later also linked through investigative work around his mobile phone.

Smith was wanted for absconding HMP Hollesley Bay in Suffolk on 27 September, where he was serving a serving an 18-year sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, failing to comply with the community requirements of a suspended sentence, and conspiracy to commit robbery.

On Thursday, 9 November, police carried out a series of warrants and arrested Beldom and Smith. They were charged with conspiracy to commit residential and non-residential burglary, and Smith was charged with an additional offence of obstructing a constable in their execution of their duty.

At their pre-trial plea hearings, Smith offered guilty pleas including escaping from lawful custody and two counts of handling stolen goods.

Beldom pleaded guilty to the entire conspiracy, including 30 business burglaries, 11 residential burglaries, four attempted residential burglaries and two attempted thefts of ATM machines.

On 5 July at Guildford Crown Court Beldom was sentenced to a total of six years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit residential and non-residential burglary, conspiracy to steal, residential burglary with intent to steal, and possession of criminal property.

Smith was sentenced to a total of six months for escaping lawful custody, two counts of handling stolen goods, and being carried in a vehicle without the consent of the owner.

The total value of items stolen was estimated at more than £500,000.