Swindon burglar jailed for over six years
Kieron Barlow stole over £100,000 worth of jewellery in a burglary in Chippenham
Last updated 30th Mar 2024
A Swindon man's been jailed for his involvement in three burglaries.
They include two in Wiltshire in May and October 2022, and another in Buckinghamshire in August 2023.
During the first at a property on Hardenhuish Lane in Chippenham on 25 May 2022, £100,000 worth of jewellery was taken, alongside cash and a pressure washer.
Kieron Barlow, of no fixed abode, Swindon, also hid from the police for nearly a year whilst wanted on warrant before the final burglary.
The 27-year-old was sentenced to six years and two months in prison at Swindon Crown Court on 27th March 2024.
Statements read out in court reflected how many of Barlow's victims felt less safe and secure in their homes.
One wrote that "our homes, our privacy, our sense of security has been violated, broken.
"Objects we cherish - just money to a burglar - have been lost forever."
The son of one of his elderly victims says "she now assumes that any person coming near her house is a burglar, she is even suspicious of the postman when he comes."
Complex Crime Investigator Bianca Ledbury, from Wiltshire Police's Burglary Unit said:
"Justice has taken a long time for these victims because Mr Barlow went on the run from police for nearly a year, and I'd like to thank them his victims for the patience they've shown during this time.
Ms Ledbury added that a high-value pocket watch stolen by Barlow that belonged to a victim's grandfather still has not been recovered, and that Barlow has not assisted police with finding it.
She is urging "anyone who has purchased high value Rolex watches at a questionable lower price to research the item to see if it is in fact stolen so it can be reunited with the owner.
"The long-lasting impact burglary causes to those targeted far outweighs the quick financial gain burglars receive. Thankfully no one was injured during the incidents, but the reality is that all of Mr Barlow's victims are suffering in different ways in the aftermath of his crimes.
"Mr Barlow has stated that he wants to reform, only time will tell whether he is sincere in this statement. I hope he will reflect on the harm he has caused and decide to pursue an occupation that helps rather than harms society upon his release."