Men jailed for aggravated burglary and robbery in Gosport

Three men who burgled a house while armed with weapons have been jailed.

At around 11pm on 2 May 2020, the men forced entry into a house on Grove Road in Gosport where they stole £220 in cash and some cigarettes.

The culprits, who were carrying baseball bats and knives at the time of the incident, were identified as 24-year-old Louie Comley, 26-year-old Nico Buster Alexander and 28-year-old Daniel Mcdowall Watson.

The occupants of the house, who were known to the defendants, barricaded themselves in a room upstairs for their safety. Fortunately they were not injured during the incident.

Following an investigation, the three defendants were charged with aggravated burglary.

Comley, of Whippingham Close in Cosham, admitted the offence when he appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on 19 October last year.

Watson, of Anns Hill Road in Gosport, and Alexander, formerly of Gosport, initially denied the offence. However, they both entered a guilty plea when they appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on 7 December. Alexander also pleaded guilty to a separate robbery offence at this hearing.

Appearing at the same court yesterday (Wednesday 31 March 2021), they were sentenced as follows:

• Nico Alexander was jailed for 57 months.
• Louie Comley was jailed for 54 months.
• Daniel Watson was jailed for 38 months.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Keeka Way said: “This was a frightening incident which left the occupants of the house, including young children, understandably very shaken and upset.

“I’m pleased that the hard work that went into this investigation has resulted in these three individuals being brought to justice for their crime.”

At the same court yesterday, Alexander was also handed a 26 month sentence for a robbery which took place in Grange Crescent, Gosport, on 2 March 2019. This sentence will run concurrent to the 57 months he was handed for aggravated burglary.

During the robbery, Alexander and co-defendant Ricki Stephen Tribble made demands for money from a man in his 20s. Tribble assaulted the victim before Alexander searched his pockets and took his phone.

 Ricki Tribble

They were both sentenced for one count of robbery yesterday, and 36-year-old Tribble, of Stoke Road in Gosport, was jailed for 49 months after previously admitting the offence at a hearing on 10 February this year.