More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A prolific burglar who broke into a string of properties across the east of the county has been jailed.
Jimmy Gilheaney, who is from Bristol, targeted homes in Folkestone, Ashford and Thanet during a three-day spree in October.
On the first day of the break-ins he attempted to break into a house in Torrington Road in Ashford before managing to get inside a property in Gordon Close and stealing more than £2,000 in cash.
The next day he moved on to Folkestone, where residents of a house in Enbrook Valley came back from a walk to find cash and jewellery worth more than £10,000 had been stolen from their home.
A day later the neighbour of a property in Guildford Avenue in Westgate-on-Sea saw two men leaving a nearby house having stolen foreign and British currency, designer handbags and jewellery.
Police located a grey BMW used by the men but it collided with a police car before driving off.
Officers from the Chief Constable's Crime Squad then used CCTV and doorbell footage from the crimes to link them and the car to Jimmy Gilheaney.
"Gilheaney was a committed burglar who carried out as many break-ins as he could..."
The 39-year-old was arrested and charged, and on April 23 he admitted three counts of burglary and one of attempted burglary.
At Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, April 29, he was jailed for five years.
Gilheaney, of Bradstone Road in Bristol, was also charged with four other offences relating to burglaries in Ashford and Folkestone in September. He did not enter pleas to those offences and they were ordered to lie on the file.
Investigating officer PC Scott Drake said: "Gilheaney was a committed burglar who carried out as many break-ins as he could and I am pleased he will now be unable to target the people of Kent.
"The investigation shows the importance domestic CCTV and doorbell footage can be in helping us track down and arrest burglars and in making your home as secure as possible to deter thieves."
