Two men sentenced to total of 15 years in prison following aggravated burglaries in Portsmouth

Two men have received a total of 15 years in prison following two aggravated burglaries in Portsmouth in November 2021.

Blayne-Jaydon Shanahan, 21, of Grove Road North, and Saqif Chowdhury, 19, of Stafford Road, Staffordshire, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 2 December for sentencing after both men pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated burglary.

The sentence comes following incidents on Down End and Fawcett Road.

On Monday 29 November we received a report that two men had entered a property on Down End at approximately 4.15am, woke the occupants up and demanded money from them.

A 19-year-old man received a knife wound to his shoulder and minor injuries to his chest and hip. He was transported to Queen Alexandra Hospital for treatment and was later discharged. A 22-year-old woman was also assaulted, receiving a minor injury to her knee.

The men took between £200 and £300 in cash and a number of watch boxes.

We were called to the second incident at 4.10am on Tuesday 30 November. It was reported to us that two men had entered a property on Fawcett Road and demanded money, assaulting a 24-year-old man in the process. He suffered injuries to his arm, elbow and hand. A 48-year-old woman also received a minor injury to her arm.

The men left the property with a mobile phone, a PlayStation 5 and keys.

An investigation was launched by Hampshire Constabulary’s Eastern Criminal Investigation Department and our enquiries led to the arrest and charge of both Shanahan and Chowdhury.

The court heard how patrolling officers in Southsea had spotted two men on bikes acting suspiciously on the morning of Tuesday 30 November. On noticing officers, the men attempted to evade them, making their way along Brittania Road North.

Following a short pursuit both men, who matched the descriptions given by the victims, were stopped and arrested. Following further enquiries, including the results of forensic evidence and CCTV footage, they were charged in connection with both burglaries.

Shanahan has now been sentenced to nine years in prison and Chowdhury was sentenced to six years in a Young Offenders’ Institution.

A third man, an 18-year-old from Hilsea, who was also arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary in connection with this incident, has been released from the investigation with no further action being taken against him.

Detective Constable Jennivy Hodge, who led the investigation, said: “I’m pleased with this sentence and that Shanahan and Chowdhury will now face the consequences for the crimes they have committed.

“These burglaries were terrifying ordeals for the occupants of the properties involved, who were assaulted in their own homes where they should have been safe from harm.

“I am grateful for the quick work of officers which ensured that both men were brought into custody swiftly, and would like to thank everyone involved in this case for their hard work, which has ensured that two violent offenders will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison.

“The victims were understandably left shaken and upset as a result of these incidents and I hope that these sentences will help them to move forward. For the wider community, I hope that these sentences reassure people that we take all crimes of this nature incredibly seriously and will do everything we can to ensure that violent offenders are brought to justice.”