Brendan Morgan, 21, from Sutton, and Archie Howlett, 21, from Dorking, have been handed prison sentences after being convicted for a series of residential burglaries and car thefts across Surrey and South London. The pair, who were sentenced on 30 September, had been part of an organised crime spree between November 2023 and January 2024, targeting homes in Merstham, Oxted, and Caterham.
The burglars would specifically look for properties with high-value vehicles parked outside. They then forced open the front doors in the early hours of the morning, stole the car keys, and drove off with the vehicles. Their criminal activities came to an end in January 2024 when Surrey Police’s Proactive Investigation Team arrested them after an intensive investigation.
Morgan was sentenced to four years for his involvement in seven burglaries, seven thefts of motor vehicles, and possession of cannabis. Howlett received a sentence of three years and nine months for six burglaries, seven thefts of motor vehicles, and possession of cannabis. The court also considered their involvement in a further eight burglaries and vehicle thefts.
PC Ben Wright from Surrey Police commented, “I am extremely pleased that the hard work of the team was able to identify these two as being responsible for multiple offences in Surrey and South London. People deserve to feel safe in their homes, and burglars and thieves destroy this sense of safety purely for their own gain. I hope they enjoyed seeing us first thing in the morning as little as their victims enjoyed a visit from them.”