Man sentenced to two years' imprisonment for attempted burglary

A man has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment after an attempted burglary in Horley.

On 10 January 2019, police were called to an address on Oakwood Road in Horley when the female homeowner returned to find a man trying to remove the RING CCTV doorbell. The man made off in a dark-coloured BMW on false registration plates without gaining entry to the house.

Thanks to the quality of the CCTV footage, a suspect was identified. Several months later, he was stopped in a vehicle and arrested.

26 year-old Mark Baker of Green Lane, Redhill, was subsequently charged with attempted burglary and remanded. On Monday 27 July 2020, he was convicted for one count of attempted burglary at Guildford Crown Court, having pled guilty at a pre-trial plea hearing. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

DC Martin O’Neill, of the Proactive CID Unit, said: “Burglary is a terrible crime which can leave victims feeling afraid and vulnerable in their own homes. Good quality CCTV was crucial to identifying and arresting Baker, and we encourage our residents to take the time to review their security measures at home. Burglary is a priority crime for Surrey Police, and we are committed to bringing offenders to justice. We hope that this conviction reinforces that message.”

If you come home to find that your home has been burgled, and you believe that the suspects may still be inside, call 999. If you witness a burglary taking place, please call 999. If you have information about a burglary, please contact us on 101. If you don’t wish to speak to police, you can also speak to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

There are various ways in which you can safeguard your property from burglary:

• Lock all windows and doors whenever you leave the house, no matter how long you will be gone for.
• Installing an alarm system in your house. Some alarms can also be extended wirelessly to cover sheds, garages and other outbuildings.
• Installing motion sensor lights around the outside of your property.
• Installing CCTV cameras, or doorbells with CCTV camera capacity.
• Trim hedges around doors and windows, so that they cannot provide a shield for would-be burglars trying to gain access to your home.
• Don’t leave other keys, including those for your vehicle, visible from outside your home or near a letterbox.
• Consider using timer switches for lights and other electrical appliances like radios while you are out.
•  Register your valuables using an accredited property database. 
• Mark your property using an accredited forensic marking product.