By Lucy Williamson
Billy Smith, 40, and Joe McCarthy, 40, both from Carshalton, have been sentenced after pleading guilty to breaking into a home in Banstead, Surrey, while the residents were asleep. The crime occurred in the early hours of 30 December 2022, when the pair stole car keys and a wallet from the house. Smith then used the keys to steal a car from the driveway.
The stolen bank card found in the wallet was used at a nearby convenience store to purchase cigarettes and drinks. Surveillance footage from the area, as well as CCTV from the store, helped identify both Smith and McCarthy. They were later arrested after the stolen car was discovered partially burnt and abandoned in Carshalton.
At Guildford Crown Court on 4 September, Smith pleaded guilty to burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, and fraud by false representation. He was sentenced to 2.5 years for the burglary, 18 months for the car theft, and 12 weeks for the fraud charge, all to be served concurrently. Additionally, he was ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,600 in costs.
PC Joe Brown, from Surrey’s Eastern Proactive Investigation Team, remarked, “Everyone is entitled to feel safe in their own home. Burglary is a serious offence, and we will do everything possible to hold offenders accountable and bring them to justice.”