Two men have been sent to prison for a total of 10 years following a police investigation into a series of burglaries across Swansea and Neath.
Ben Llewellyn, aged 28, and James Green, 34, who are from Morriston, appeared at Swansea Crown Court today to be sentenced for committing house burglaries.
Detectives initially arrested the pair for a burglary in Alltwen after they were disturbed by the lone female occupant of a house.
They were then linked to the burglary at the home of Swansea City coach Garry Monk by officers who matched their footwear to forensic evidence at the scene.
Further investigations were carried out which led to several search warrants being executed in Swansea and Neath Port Talbot resulting in stolen property being seized which had been stolen from houses across the region.
Two women were also arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods – police discovered a photograph of one of them modelling a watch belonging to the partner of Garry Monk.
After Llewellyn and Green were remanded in custody they confessed to committing over 30 burglaries dating back to 2002.
Llewellyn was today sentenced to six years in prison and Green to four years.
Earlier this month Donna Williams, aged 33, from Brokesby Road in Bonymaen, admitted handling stolen goods from the burglary of Garry Monk’s house, namely a £3,500 Chanel watch, which she bought for £20.
Samantha Davies, 38, from Cwmavon, Port Talbot, has pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on 10th March. Police found a photograph of her wearing a watch belonging to Garry Monk’s partner.
Detective Constable Chris Grey of Swansea CID said: “From an early stage of our investigation into the burglary in Alltwen it became apparent that Green and Llewellyn were involved in burglaries across the whole Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area.
“We have utilised every investigative tool available to us to link them to unsolved burglaries – some of which date back over a decade.
“We have contacted all the victims of these crimes to inform them and in some cases we have been able to return substantial amounts of stolen property to them.”
Detective Chief Inspector Jane Mackay added: “Getting burgled is an upsetting experience and we always pursue every line of enquiry to trace those responsible and return stolen property to victims.
“We currently have one of the highest detection rates for house burglaries in the country and we are determined to maintain our record and continue to deliver the best quality of service to victims of crime.”