A MAN has been jailed for two burglaries in Basingstoke.

Steven Dossett, 37 of Britten Road gained entry to a property on Magnus Drive by smashing the patio door. When inside, he stole items including high-value games consoles, controllers and games.

Later the same day, the homeowner of a property in Sandbanks Drive returned home to find the patio door had been smashed and a watch had been stolen from inside.

Dossett has been jailed for 876 days and was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, March 17 after pleading guilty to two counts of burglary at a previous hearing.

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DNA examinations from both scenes linked Dossett to the burglaries.

He also admitted to being responsible for another burglary and handling stolen goods, which were taken into consideration by the judge when passing sentencing. 

Matt McCarthy, detective constable from northern CID’s Operation Hawk Team, said “Now Dossett has been jailed he is no longer able to cause misery to people by breaking into their homes and stealing their possessions.

“We recognise the impact burglary has on people, which is why our dedicated burglary team work tirelessly to identify offenders and bring them to justice.

“I hope this result provides some reassurance to the local community, and encourages anyone who is affected by this type of crime to report it to police."

The police are encouraging the public to report any suspicious behaviour or suspicious individuals in their local area. This information can help inform them where police activity should be focused in the borough. 

This investigation was led by Operation Hawk, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s dedicated burglary team.