Some people even feel it is necessary to move house, in a bid to put the trauma caused by the burglary behind them.
Judges take factors such as that into consideration - along with how many previous convictions a defendant has for burglary, and whether victims were at home - when passing sentence.
All of the five burglars pictured here were jailed during Sheffield Crown Court hearings held during the course of 2025.
The shortest sentence passed down was one of two years and eight months, whilst the longest was one of six-and-a-half years.
1. Five burglars jailed during 2025
Top row, left to right: Joseph Johnson; Matthew Dean and Florin Bratu. Bottom row, left to right: Kyle Allen and Ephrain Enogunmwmgie | SYP/NW
2. Joseph Johnson: Jailed for six years, three months
Joseph Johnson, aged 20, of Park Spring Grove, near Arbourthorne, in Sheffield, targeted cars by breaking into homes across South Yorkshire and stealing the owner’s keys. His recent spree started on October 9, 2024 when he was involved in stealing a BMW car thought to be worth £20,000 from a home in Rotherham. The car was later recovered in Bradford. Johnson was also linked to a burglary the following day where jewellery, sunglasses and WW2 medals worth a combined total of more than £1,300 were looted from a Sheffield home. A total of seven cars were stolen from Johnson’s victims between October 9 and December 17, 2024. When Johnson’s offending became known, officers in Sheffield worked tirelessly to link him to the crimes. Following a burglary in Firth Park, officers spotted a grey Seat Leon being driven close to the street where it was believed to have been taken. Police said the car was abandoned and a receipt was found inside the car by officers, who then went to the store where the purchase had been made. This led to CCTV images being provided by the business, which in turn led to Johnson being identified as one of the people who had been at the store. CCTV from the shop also showed the stolen car arriving and leaving just after the transaction shown on the receipt. Johnson pleaded guilty to eight offences of burglary, one count of dangerous driving, and one count of assault by beating an emergency worker during a hearing on March 27, 2025. Johnson was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on June 3, where he was jailed for six years and three months | SYP
3. Matthew Dean: Jailed for three years, eight months
Matthew Dean broke into a property in Swallownest, Rotherham, taking the keys to two vehicles and escaping in one of them. Officers responded and tracked down the stolen vehicles using their fitted trackers, locating both of them a short time later. Upon officers tracking the vehicles, Dean fled the scene. Forensic evidence later resulted in Dean’s arrest, with him being charged over his involvement. Dean appeared before Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, changing his plea to guilty for burglary, two counts of theft of a motor vehicle and assault of an emergency worker. Dean, of Heath Road, Bradford, has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison | SYP
4. Florin Bratu: Jailed for six years, six months
Florin Bratu, aged 33, of no fixed abode, went on a crime spree in and around Hillsborough, Sheffield between June 9 and July 18, 2024. On June 14 he burgled a property on Leppings Lane. During the raid, he drank from a gin bottle, leaving a salvia stain that was forensically analysed and matched to him. the property by an off-duty officer who took a photo of him which was later used to identify him. On June 24 he stole a drill and iPhone from a shop on Infirmary Road. He was caught on CCTV and recognised by witnesses due to his distinctive tattoos. Bratu was arrested in connection with these offences on July 24, 2024, and was later charged with robbery, fraud by false representation, three counts of burglary of a dwelling and theft, theft of a pedal cycle, criminal damage, attempted burglary with intent to steal, three counts of burglary other than a dwelling, attempted robbery, and threatening a person with a knife. In June 2025, Bratu pleaded guilty to theft of a pedal cycle, criminal damage, and three counts of burglary of a dwelling and theft. On June 16, 2025 at Sheffield Crown Court Florin was jailed for six years and six months. | SYP