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Gloucestershire Business News

Two prolific burglars who taunted police jailed

Two prolific burglars who taunted police on Facebook with threats to "smash into houses" of yet more residents in Cheltenham, Glos, have received a combined total of eight years in jail for a series of burglaries that terrorised locals.

Mason Mcconnon of no fixed abode was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to 14 counts of burglary and one account of attempted burglary as well as asking for 32 offences of a similar nature to be considered.

Harry Gill, 20 of Hawthorn Road in Cheltenham was jailed for two years eight months for three counts of burglary, one count of attempted burglary and asked for 12 offences of a similar nature to be taken into account.

Gill also received a further one year and four months for breaching a suspended sentence for conspiracy to sell Class A drugs.

When the police put out the appeal for the men on the Gloucestershire Constabulary Facebook page, both Gill and Mccconnon started taunting residents with commentssich as "You will be next. Your front door won't be left in one piece."

Glocuester crown court heard today that a total of 125 burglaries were committed in Cheltenham last year, an increase of 52% on the previous year. These were all committed between for a short period of time during October and early November. Intelligence led police to put out a wanted appeal for the men who were later located and arrested and charged on 3rd November last year.

Gill had been staying with a friend, Jason Wild, 29 of Monkscroft and both Gill and Mcconnon had been stashing the stolen goods at Wild's address. Wild received two years for handling stolen goods.

The prosecutor in the case outlined the series of burglaries that Gill and Mcconnon pleaded guilty to which amounted to between £10,000 and £20,000 of goods being stolen. The spree started on 17th October, with the last burglaries committed on 2nd November, the day before both men were picked up.

The court heard the sudden increase in burglaries caused many residents of that area to panic, concerned for their safety and one 90 year old lady was so worried she moved from the area.

Defending Mcconnon, Simon Goodman said his client came out of prison and initially engaged well with probation but fell back into a drug habit and missed his first appointment with probation in October at the same time as the burglaries took place.

Mr Goodman asked the judge to pass a sentence that does not mean his client "loses all hope,"

"He wants to start again and knows he has failed" Mr Goodman told the court.

Defending Gill, Matthew Harbinson called the crimes "unsophisticated."

"On 26th October they burgled a house and helped themselves to some squash, putting the glasses in the sink. They then went and burgled the house next door."

"They knew they were going to get caught and seemed to want to get as much as they could in as short as time as possible."

Mr Harbinson said his client calls burglary a "dirty crime."

"He can't believe he did it" he said.

Defending Wild, Steve Young said his client had been living at the property for about six months when his friend Gill found himself homeless so he put him up.

"Whilst staying the stolen property was brought to the address. There was little in it for him other than some items he said he was going to keep" Mr Young told the court.

Sentencing the men Recorder Ignatius Hughes QC said their actions had a significant impact on the community.

"One lady was so traumatised she had to relocate to a new area" he said.

Recorder Hughes QC told Mcconnon that he hopes there is room for him to start leading a decent life.

"You have lost the ablity to refrain from this behaviour but despite the maximum sentence I could impose is 14 years I have some mercy on you" he said before jailing him for four years.

Gill was told by Recorder Hughes OC that he showed a distinct "lack of maturity."

"Your behaviour where you were laughing during proceedings shows this but taking into account your age and the number of burglaries you were involved in I sentence you to 876 days."

Gill was given a further one year and four months for breaching his suspended sentence.

Recorder Hughes QC sentenced Wild to two years telling him that "this was not just one or two items."

"You provided a safe haven for Mr Gill and the items knowing he was smashing into people's homes and stealing things of significant value."

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