Bedfordshire burglar jailed for nearly 10 years
Vinny Guess was found guilty at Luton Crown Court on Monday
Last updated 22nd Dec 2022
A Bedfordshire man dubbed a professional burglar by a judge after stealing firearms, cash and jewellery worth hundreds of thousands of pounds has been jailed for nearly 10 years.
Vinny Guess of Tempsford Road, Sandy, was linked to seven burglaries, including one aggravated burglary, across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire between November 2021 and February 2022.
Eight firearms were stolen during the spree along with significant quantities of cash and jewellery, the combined value of which is around £200,000.
The 30-year-old was found guilty following a trial at Luton Crown Court, and on Thursday 15 December, was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in prison.
The aggravated burglary, which took place in January 2022, began with the victim hearing loud crashing sounds coming from the back garden while she was in her bedroom with her young child.
Two intruders wearing balaclavas forced their way into the house and came straight up the stairs. The first of the two burst into the bedroom, holding up a screwdriver and threatening the victim to stay quiet.
Loud banging noises could be heard from the hallway, and attempts were made to get the safe code before they were eventually able to free the safe and leave the scene.
Despite their best efforts to conceal their involvement by wearing balaclavas and spraying cleaning products to frustrate forensic evidence, detectives from the Op Maze team worked tirelessly to place the offenders at the scene of the crime through analysis of their mobile phone locations and piecing together CCTV footage to pinpoint their whereabouts.
Detective Constable Andy Boston, who led the investigation, said: “No one should feel unsafe in their own home, which is why we are committed to tackling offending and the harm it causes.