Burglar who stole £30,000 of jewellery, car keys and cash from Peterborough homes jailed

A man who stole more than £30,000 worth of goods in a series of burglaries on homes in the Broadway area of Peterborough has been jailed – after he left his own DNA on a discarded drinks can at the scene of the crime.

Vladimir Gregor, 35, burgled homes in Broadway and Princes Gardens in August and September, forcing entry through windows before emptying cupboards and drawers to steal jewellery, cash, car keys, sentimental items and bank cards. On one occasion the residents were upstairs asleep as he raided their home.

Officers discovered fingerprints on one of the window frames, as well as DNA on a discarded can of energy drink.

Police also managed to obtain CCTV footage, which showed Gregor wearing a dark hoodie and bright green gloves.

On 18 September, a concerned member of the public reported Gregor in a high-vis vest acting suspiciously around his property. When the member of the public asked what he was doing in his garden, Gregor claimed he had tripped and fallen through the gate into the garden.

Police arrived and arrested Gregor, who was wearing clothing matching that seen in the CCTV footage and had a bag containing green gloves, a screwdriver and a face mask.

Gregor, of no fixed abode, refused to be interviewed but later pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and one of going equipped.

He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison at Huntingdon Law Courts on Friday (18 November).

Detective Constable Hannah Connolly, who investigated for Cambridgeshire Police, said the impact Gregor’s crimes had on his victims had been devastating. She said: “Gregor showed a brazen disregard for the law when he broke into the houses with no care whether the owners were home or not. He caused real anguish to the victims and showed little remorse for his actions.

“Burglary can have a devastating impact on victims, which is why tackling it is one of our priorities. We are working hard every day to bring offenders before the courts."