Two sentenced following spate of burglaries

Richard Excell, aged 32, of no fixed abode, and a 16-year-old boy were both found guilty at Reading Crown Court on February 3.
Police set up an operation to catch the pair following a spate of burglaries targeting homes with expensive cars parked outside properties across Reading, Hartley Wintney in Hampshire and West Berkshire between April 19 and April 23 last year.
The West Berkshire offences include, Hartmead Road, Thatcham, two offences in Roundhead Road, Theale, Glebe Road, Purley-on-Thames and Thames Avenue, Pangbourne.
Excell was sentenced to six-and-a-half years imprisonment on March 14 after being found guilty at Reading Crown Court.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a 21 month youth rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary.
Det Con Laura Murray, from Local CID at Reading police station said: “I am really pleased with the verdict and in particular the hefty sentence which was handed down by the judge.
“In total these two committed 15 dwelling burglaries in the Thames Valley and Hampshire area over just five days.
“They were targeting homes with high end vehicles and on one occasion, during the night of 19 to 20 April, they committed two burglaries in Reading in which two Mercedes, worth around £75,000 in total, were stolen.
“As a result of them targeting a number of homes in the same night, we launched an operation to focus on their crime pattern and targeted our patrols.
"As a result both offenders were arrested on 23 April when they were stopped in the vicinity of where three Mercedes had been stolen.”
Det Insp Rod Howell, also from Local CID at Reading police station, added: “Burglary is an unpleasant crime, which leaves victims out of pocket and anxious, and the sentence handed down to the offenders reflects this.”
“I would like to thank the team of officers, who have done an excellent job in what was a complicated investigation, which involved offences taking place across Reading, West Berkshire and Hampshire.
“Tackling and disrupting criminals who prey on our communities in Reading is a priority. This is the latest in a series of good results we have seen and we are determined to continue to work with other agencies and the communities of Reading and surrounding areas to do all we can to prevent criminals operating in Reading and to target those who do."