Burglar who 'showed no respect for victims' handed jail sentence

PUBLISHED: 07:42 29 July 2019

Joseph Lamb, from Flitch Green, has been jailed. Picture: ESSEX POLICE



A burglar from Flitch Green, who ransacked the homes of his victims, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Joseph Lamb broke into three homes in Southend and Benfleet, and tried to break into another, between January 11 and February 8 this year.

He had tried to get into an address in Prittlewell Chase, Southend at around 11.50am on January 14, smashing a patio door as he was disturbed by the person living there.

An address in Wyatts Drive, Southend, was broken into on the same day. Rooms upstairs had been ransacked with the contents of bedroom cupboards and cabinets strewn over the floor.

A metal safe containing bank cards, a four-figure sum of cash, and gold jewellery worth a four-figure sum was taken.

Then, on January 26, someone tried to break into a property in St Mary's Drive, Benfleet. The people living there reported someone loudly banging on the front door before then smashing a conservatory window.

On February 8 it was reported an address in North Avenue, Southend, was broken into with a patio door smashed and bedrooms ransacked.

Items including electrical equipment, jewellery, and designer sunglasses were taken.

In all three burglaries Lamb, 33, of Baynard Avenue, Flitch Green, was caught on CCTV or ring doorbell footage. From that footage he was also identified as trying to get into the address in Prittlewell Chase.

When officers attended Lamb's address for an unrelated matter on January 16 officers found items which had been taken from an address in Causeway End Road, Felsted, on January 3.

Through further investigations officers also recovered CCTV showing Lamb selling property stolen from the same address.

He was arrested on February 22 and later charged with three counts of burglary, one count of attempted burglary, and one count of handling stolen goods.

He pleaded guilty to all five charges prior to his trial, which was due to start this week. A suspended sentence for a previous conviction was also activated, ensuring a lengthy sentence of seven years.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Layla Barker, from Southend CID, said: "Lamb showed no respect for any of his victims when ransacked their homes and stole items that were irreplaceable to them.

"Burglary is an awful, invasive crime which can have a lasting impact on its victims.

"I hope that this sentence will assist in bringing Lamb's victims some kind of closure, and that his time behind bars means he can reflect on the damage he's done."

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