Burglars sentenced for antique thefts

Following an 18 month investigation by the Sussex Police Serious Organised Crime Unit into an organised crime group involved in antique burglaries throughout Sussex and the South East of England, the last of the four suspects has been convicted.

The main suspect Darryl Aldridge, 48, of New Barn Road, Shoreham, was convicted in March. Aldridge had orchestrated a number of burglaries at various auction houses and private homes, targeting the auction houses with upcoming sales. He researched and selected high value items which he wanted to steal using auction room websites. He would then send out his criminal associates armed with the information to commit the burglaries at the auction houses in Sussex, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Kent.

In addition, whilst on police bail for the eight auction house burglaries, Aldridge himself committed three high value burglaries in private homes in Lancing and Brighton.

Following a six week trial earlier in the year Aldridge was found guilty on all indictments: three burglaries of homes, eight auction house burglaries and perverting the course of justice.

Aldridge was sentenced to seven years concurrent for the auction house burglaries, three years consecutive for the three dwelling burglaries and eight months consecutive for perverting the course of justice - the total sentence was 10 years eight months.

Aldridge’s co-defendant, Anthony Townsend, 50, of Upper Lewes Road, Brighton, was found guilty of the burglary organised by Aldridge at Stroud Auctions, Gloucestershire in October 2011. He received a sentence of 18 months.

Townsend had also committed a dwelling burglary in Brighton on 26 December, 2012, while he was on court bail for the Stroud offence. He pleaded guilty to this and received a three year consecutive sentence, leading to a total sentence of four-and-a-half years.

A third defendant Kelly Lambert, 40, of Lavender Hill, Shoreham, pleaded guilty to an offence of theft at Toovey’s Auctions, Washington, West Sussex, which again was orchestrated by Aldridge. She was sentenced to community service.

Anthony Fortune, 55, of Park Road, Worthing, had been charged with perverting the course of justice in relation to creating fictitious invoices for Aldridge, specifically in relation to a valuable antique Klotz violin which was stolen during the burglary at Stroud Auctions, Gloucestershire, on 11 or 12 Oct 2011. This violin was found at Aldridge’s home address on 13 October, less than 36 hours after the burglary.