Burglary is an offence that can have a profound and long-lasting impact on its victims, with some even going as far to move house after learning a criminal has invaded their space.
While not all burglars are caught or brought to justice, here are eight such criminals who have all been sent to begin prison sentences after Sheffield Crown Court hearings held during the course of this year (2024).
Anyone wishing to report a crime should call South Yorkshire Police on 101.
Call 999 in an emergency.
Alternatively, you can stay completely anonymous by contacting the independent charity CrimeStoppers via their website Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling their UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111.
9. Ian McAffrey: Jailed for six months
A repeat thief is beginning a prison sentence, following a crime spree. 37-year-old Ian McAffrey was arrested and charged with burglary on April 17, 2024, following an incident which saw him a raid a shed in Dodworth, Barnsley, on March 25, 2024. He pleaded guilty and was handed a four-month suspended sentence, but at the time of his arrest, officers found a pushbike in his car which they suspected was stolen. Officers were able to reunite the bike with its rightful owner following a successful social media appeal. Just as police officers confirmed that the pushbike was stolen, another theft took place on April 25, 2024, this time of an e-bike worth £3,500. The bike had been fitted with a tracker which located it to McAffrey’s address. Officers were also able to recover this bike and return it to its owner, with McAffrey later arrested and charged with burglary and theft of a pedal cycle. McAffrey, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to both offences and was sentenced to a total of six months in prison at Sheffield Magistrates' Court last Friday (May 3, 2024). Speaking after McAffrey was jailed, Detective Sergeant David Baker said: “I am glad that McAffrey’s crimes have caught up with him and he has been jailed. "Our officers were able to bring him to justice by pursuing a suspected theft following his initial arrest, and succeeded in seeing the stolen property returned to its original owners.” | SYP