A brother and sister from Wisbech who plotted a burglary whilst living in a tent near their victim appeared before Norwich Crown Court. John Sturgess, 37, of Chalk Road, Wisbech was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years.
He was also handed a 12-month driving ban and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work after admitting to three counts of burglary, two counts of theft, one of fraud, one count of possessing a class B drug, and one count of driving while disqualified.
Jaideenna Graham, aged 24, also of Chalk Road, Wisbech, was given an 18-month community order, 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and ordered to undertake a mental health treatment requirement for 12 months.
She admitted to three counts of burglary, three of theft, and one count of possessing a class B drug.
Both were sentenced on Wednesday 6 March 2024 at Norwich Crown Court for their involvement in a burglary on August 14 last year in Walpole St Andrew when a car was stolen from a driveway and given false plates.
The car was recovered, and further enquiries linked the pair to a burglary in King’s Lynn, between August 13 and 15 last year and a burglary at Wells Congregational Church on 24 August.
At the time the pair were living in a tent nearby.
Whilst on remand Sturgess engaged with Operation Converter – the unit which encourages offenders to admit to further crimes that can be taken into consideration (TIC) at sentencing – and asked for eight other offences to be taken into consideration.
These were four burglaries, two thefts, and two making off without payment from a petrol filling station. In total they amounted to more than £6,000, only £100 of which was recovered.
The TIC offences all took place between 29 May 2016 and 10 September 2023.
