A serial burglar caught committing two crimes a week after being released from jail is back behind bars.
Conner Smith left his victims devastated after stealing war medals and jewellery that belonged to his victims’ dead relatives.
The 19-year-old – who has previous convictions for burglary – threw a brick through a window at the back of a house in Grange Crescent, Gosport, before ransacking the home while the occupants were out. When the residents returned at 11pm that evening they discovered that he had also fled with a TV, Wii console and games, a purse and the contents, a handbag, two cameras, an iPod Touch and a jewellery box.
Smith, of Mile End Road, Buckland, Portsmouth, was caught the next day after he tried to exchange foreign currency he had stolen in the burglary at Thomson Travel Group in Gosport High Street. Staff were concerned about the different types of currency he had and declined. Smith then exchanged the cash at nearby Thomas Cook. Meanwhile Thomson staff alerted police.
Later that day police carried out a stop check and Smith ran off. He was found hiding behind a phone box and arrested. On him was silver that had been stolen during a burglary at a property in Bramble Road, Gosport, and a camera believed to have been stolen in the Grange Crescent burglary the previous day.
Smith was jailed for three years after admitting one count of burglary and one of handling stolen goods.
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