Five years for Ely jewellery thief

A

man has been found guilty of stealing thousands of pounds worth of jewellery in

two robberies has been jailed for five years.

57

year old William Beattie, who resides in London, broke into a property in Top

Street, Stretham, near Ely, last year.

After

smashing through a front window Bettie let himself in through the front door

before taking silver tableware from a dining room and a large amount of

jewellery from a bedroom.

He

also took rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches, brooches and gold

chains worth more than £10,000.

Beattie

fled with the items but subsequent searches discovered a piece of his belt

close to the broken window from which a full DNA profile was recovered.

He

was arrested by officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary on the M1 on August 17

before being handed over to Cambridgeshire officers.

Beattie

pleaded not guilty to the burglary and to another burglary in Haywards Heath,

West Sussex, where a handkerchief had been found bearing his DNA.

However,

yesterday at Cambridge Crown Court he was found guilty on both counts and

jailed.  

Investigating

officer DC Ashley Ryan said: "Beattie is a prolific burglar and a habitual

thief who has never shown any remorse. The burglary in Stretham left the

victims very upset because some of the items were of great sentimental value.

"The

sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and the impact it had on the

victims."