Southampton man jailed for burgling four Portswood homes

A Southampton man has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for a series of burglaries in the Portswood area of the city last year.

Darren Jones, 45, of Richmond Gardens, appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday 17 October, having previously been charged with three counts of dwelling burglary and one count of theft in connection with four incidents, all of which took place on November 22 2022.

At around 3.50pm, Jones broke into a house on Sirdar Road by smashing the window in the front door. He stole a wallet, which contained a number of bank cards and ID cards, Apple Airpods, two laptops, a backpack and jewellery worth approximately £60. He then left the house via a bedroom window.

Around an hour later, at approximately 4.45pm, Jones broke into a house on Portswood Road. He was disturbed by a woman who was at home at the time and left without taking anything.

Sometime between 12.40 and 7pm, a house on Northcote Road was broken into and a handbag, jewellery box and wallet were stolen from a bedroom inside. A second property on Northcote Road was broken into sometime between 8.30am and 7pm and a shovel was taken.

Most of the items stolen from the Sirdar Road and Northcote Road properties were found in the garden of the Portswood Road address, along with a document in the name of Darren Jones. A bike lock left in the Sirdar Road property was forensically examined, which revealed DNA links to Jones.

Jones was arrested and later charged with the offences. He pleaded guilty and has now been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Police Staff Investigator Sarah Stewart, who led the investigation, said: “Breaking into someone’s home and stealing their property is an intrusive crime which causes immeasurable distress to its victims. We do not underestimate the impact that this has on those who are affected.

“We work really hard to ensure that those who commit these crimes face the consequences of their actions and we are pleased with this sentence, which reflects the pattern of habitual theft that this series demonstrated.

“I really do hope that this result helps the victims of these burglaries to move forward and we will continue doing everything we can to support those affected by burglary and bring offenders before the courts.

“We will not stop in our relentless pursuit of criminals so that their lives, not those of local people, are a misery.”

We urge anyone who has been the victim of burglary or anyone who has any information on burglary or stolen goods to contact us on 101 or via the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website. Always call 999 if you are in danger or if a crime is in progress.