A ‘career criminal’ will spend ten years and six months behind bars for spate of burglaries across Luton, after the force’s burglary team was able to piece together evidence left at the scene.
Jason Smith, 34, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to five counts of burglary, one count of attempted burglary, four counts of vehicle theft and one count of robbery on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, at Luton Crown Court.
Smith’s crime spree took place between December 2 and 14 and Op Maze worked tirelessly to identify Smith and link the different incidents together.
One other man was arrested with Smith, and is awaiting sentencing.
On December 2, Smith was captured on a video doorbell attempting to enter a home in Oving Close at 11.30pm.
On December 13, Smith and one other man entered a property in Rowelfield, and stole a handbag, an iPad and keys. The men were caught on dashcam footage from the victim’s car which was parked on the drive. Identified at the property was a car key which didn’t belong to the victim.
The key identified as being linked to a burglary on December 12, on Carteret Road, where the victim was woken up at 6.20am by a loud bang, and noticed Smith trying to get in his car. Smith was disturbed and jumped in a vehicle which was later identified as stolen, thanks to the victim, who was able to capture details.
The stolen car was identified as being stolen from a property on Harcourt Street, between 11pm on December 11 and 6am on December 12.
Between 11.30pm on December 12 and 6am on December 13, Smith gained access to a property through a window where he stole keys to two cars. Both of the vehicles were later found close to Smith’s home address, and on arrest, the car keys for both of these vehicles were in his pocket.
On December 13, at 7.15am Smith was with another man, when they entered a shop in Limbury Road and threatened a man with a screwdriver before taking a till and car keys. Smith and the other man were arrested shortly after.
Despite wearing face coverings, Smith was still identified on CCTV, and when he was arrested, his jogging bottoms had an identifiable rip, which matched the CCTV footage.
Detective Constable Jason Wheeler, leading the investigation, said: “Jason is regarded as a prolific burglar, and the judge considered him to be a career criminal, so I am glad he will now spend a significant time behind bars. I hope Smith will spend his time reflecting on his actions, and I hope this lengthy sentence demonstrates that crime does not pay.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to the excellent work of officers who helped me secure the CCTV footage. In these instance, CCTV was invaluable when building a case against Smith, and we were able to identify him quickly. Myself and the Op Maze team worked hard to piece together the evidence and pick up clues left by Smith at the scenes.
“Burglary is a key priority for the force, and Op Maze ensures that such criminality won’t be tolerated. We continue to run dedicated operations to target those individuals who think this brazen behaviour in Bedfordshire is acceptable.
“We would also like to remind the public of the importance of keeping your home secure, and always double lock your doors and windows. Dashcam footage, CCTV and video doorbells helped us identify Smith quickly, so where possible, and if financially beneficial, invest in a CCTV system as it not only acts as a deterrent, it also helps an investigation.”
To read more burglary prevention advice, visit Bedfordshire Police’s website.
