Man, 33, jailed for two years and six months after stealing car from driveway in Farnborough

A man has been jailed for two and a half years after he broke into a home and stole a car from a driveway in Farnborough.

Dale Carter, 33, of no fixed abode, gained access to the property on Oak Road at around 4.15am on Monday 8 July.

He stole a wallet and a set of car keys and drove off in a Kia Sportage which had been parked outside the address.

Officers launched an investigation and located the vehicle at around 5.40am in Farnborough.

Carter was arrested and charged with burglary dwelling and theft – no violence and theft of a motor vehicle. He pleaded guilty to both offences.

He also pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft from a shop after he stole items including alcohol, furniture, cosmetic products and meat worth more than £750 from stores in Fleet.

The stores included M&S, Ryman, Superdrug, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons and the incidents took place between 13 June and 7 July.

Carter was jailed for a total of 30 months at Winchester Crown Court today on 20 September.

PC Annie Brogan, from CID North, led the burglary investigation and said: “Breaking into someone’s home and stealing their property is an intrusive crime which causes immeasurable distress to its victims, and we do not underestimate the impact that this has on those who are affected.

“I would like to praise the officers that were deployed to the scene and swiftly located the stolen car and arrested Dale Carter.

“Our officers work really hard to ensure that those who commit these crimes face the consequences of their actions.

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

PC Brogan added: “Carter also pleaded guilty to a number of shoplifting offences in Fleet. We take all reports of shoplifting extremely seriously as we know it has a huge impact on local businesses and retailers.

“I hope this result also sends a message to shoplifters that this behaviour and criminality will not be tolerated.”