A BASINGSTOKE murderer has been found guilty of breaking into a bingo hall in Basingstoke and stealing more than £28,000, with the man he eventually killed. 

Following a four-day long trial at Winchester Crown Court, a jury has found Stanley Elliott guilty of carrying out a burglary alongside Geoffrey Hibbert at the Buzz Bingo hall in Basingstoke in January 2020.

The bingo hall in the Leisure Park, near West Ham roundabout, was burgled in the early hours of January 9, 2020.

The court heard that police understood the men had crawled through the roof space before accessing the room next to where the money was kept via the ceiling tiles.

They were then seen on CCTV filling bags with money and leaving via a fire exit just after 2am. In total £28,555 was stolen from the venue.

READ MORE: Stanley Elliott found guilty of murdering couple in Basingstoke

The 54-year-old, of Vidlers Farm, Kiln Road, Sherborne St John, is currently serving a life prison sentence with a minimum term of 34 years for murdering Geoffrey and Michelle Hibbert by stabbing them to death on June 20, 2021, at their bungalow in Buckland Avenue, South Ham.

On the evening of the murders, Elliott had been babysitting for the couple. Mrs Hibbert made a 999 call to report that her husband had been stabbed. During the call, she said she had also been attacked. Police arrived at the scene just after 2am and found their bodies inside the property.

Paperwork relating to the case and Mr Hibbert blaming Elliott for the burglary was found in the bin at the Hibbert's home following the murders.

The court heard that texts between Mr Hibbert and Elliott appeared to discuss their plan to burgle Buzz Bingo, including photos of the inside of the venue, which Elliott told the court he sent because Mr Hibbert was planning to install an integrated alarm system.

The pair were arrested after Mr Hibbert’s phone was found by contractors who had been called to the building after the incident.

Several items were found inside Elliott's home including a black hat resembling a balaclava, £500 worth of cash wrapped and a rucksack full of coins.

SEE ALSO: Stanley Elliott sentenced to minimum 34 years for double murder

During the murder trial in March last year, Elliott had admitted to being involved in stealing the cash.

Defending Elliott in the burglary trial, Rupert Hallowes said: “In proceedings that occurred in this court in the early part of last year was the first time you made a public admission confession to committing the robbery.

“And in the same way you made a promise to tell me the truth in this court, you made a similar promise, to tell the truth in that court. During those proceedings you admitted you were involved in that burglary.

“You told the court that Geoffrey had given you £4,000 for your part in it and you told the court you spent a few hundred pounds of that money. You also told the court that you were going to say that you borrowed Geoffrey’s phone and you were going to say he had nothing to do with the money? Why did you not tell the truth?”

In reply, Elliott denied being involved in any part of the robbery or being one of the men shown in the CCTV.

He said: "I just seemed to perceive that I should admit to doing the burglary because it would look good for me.”

READ ALSO: Stanley Elliott trial: Defendant takes the stand

Despite this, prosecutor Frank Abbott told the court: "I suggest you were both planning on doing this burglary and sent those photos to Hibbert because you had to know something about the alarm."

He continued: "That rucksack [the one found in Elliott's house] is the one we see on the CCTV and you are the person coming in carrying it. When the police come to your house it's got lots of coins inside and they came from Buzz Bingo."

Elliott was jailed for 18 months which will be served concurrently with his murder sentence.