Prolific burglar pleads guilty to Epsom offences

A man has plead guilty to one count of residential burglary and one count of burglary from a local primary school.

Luke Andrews, from Epsom in Surrey, appeared before Guildford Magistrates Court on August the 12th.

Following his guilty plea, he was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on the 13th of September at Guildford Crown Court.

It is alleged that Andrews smashed a window to gain entry to Epsom Primary School on the evening of August the 9th.

Once inside, he stole a number of iPads.

Andrews was quickly identified by victim statements and CCTV footage, and was arrested the same day.

Due to him wearing a distinctive coat, he was also linked to a nearby residential burglary.

On this occasion he gained entry through a skylight and stole jewellery.

Stolen property from both burglaries was recovered when officers searched his address.

Burglary Lead for the Force, DCI Gareth Hicks, said that the case being successfully concluded was down to the hard work of the investigating officers:

“From arrest to charge, the team worked a 24-hour shift to ensure that the case file could be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service as soon as possible and another officer came in on his day off to assist.”

"Andrews had only been released from prison in May after being convicted of other burglary offences, so the fast reaction of our officers meant that the risk to the local community was quickly countered.”

"Being burgled can have a huge impact on victims who are left feeling unsettled and unsafe in their homes.”

“Where there are lines of enquiries, we will follow this up and look to bring perpetrators to justice."