Man jailed for conspiracy to burgle after being deported from Australia

A burglar who was wanted for 48 burglaries across 13 counties in the UK, has been sentenced to five years in prison after getting an unexpected welcome home when he was arrested by officers at Heathrow Airport.

Miles Connors, 27, (dob 28/01/1997) of Walnut Avenue in Hillingdon, was arrested on 29 August 2024 after being deported from Australia back to the UK after he was convicted of burglary and rogue trader offences there.

Connors was wanted by Surrey Police for his role in a huge conspiracy to burgle, but in 2018 he fled the country on a false passport before he was able to be brought to justice.

Thanks to his inability to refrain from criminal activities, he was deported from Australia for separate offences and on arrival back in the UK, was immediately arrested and charged for the conspiracy to burgle.

He was found guilty of conspiracy to burgle following a six-day trial at Guildford Crown Court.

The two other defendants in the UK case were sentenced to a combined six years for their roles in the conspiracy back in 2018 after pleading guilty.

Investigating officer, PC Simon Laidlaw from Surrey Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said; “This has been a long running and complex case and although the two other defendants were convicted and sentenced to prison back in 2018, we have now been able to finally arrest the last person involved in the conspiracy and bring him to justice.

“Even if you run to the other side of the world, we will eventually catch up with you and Connors was arrested as soon as he touched down on UK soil. He will now spend five years in prison, and we are really pleased that this case has finally been brought to a close.”