Prolific burglar jailed after pursuit along A23

A man has been jailed for his role in a series of burglaries, thefts and criminal damage in Brighton and Hove, and for leading police on a dangerous car chase along the A23.

On 9 January, police received a report of a car having been stolen from Hove following a burglary.

An investigation was launched and, on 15 January, the stolen vehicle – a Kia Sportage – was located and pursued by officers along the A23.

The car, driven by 33-year-old Daniel Laverty of Maskelyn Close in Battersea, led officers and the NPAS helicopter at high speed before crashing.

Laverty was arrested at the scene and released on conditional bail while enquiries continued.

Two days later, in the early hours of Tuesday, 17 January, Laverty and an accomplice embarked on a stealing spree across Brighton and Hove, starting with damage and theft from a vehicle in Gordon Close, a burglary in Rutland Gardens – during which a car was stolen – and another burglary at a property in Clermont Terrace.

The offenders were interrupted during one of the burglaries by a woman who went downstairs to find them in her house, while her two children and a friend slept upstairs.

She chased them from the building, where she was threatened with violence.

Laverty was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of burglary, three counts of theft, theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, theft from a motor vehicle, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and possession of Class A drugs.

At Hove Trial Centre on Wednesday, 26 July, Laverty pleaded or was found guilty of all charges, except one count of theft which was discontinued and entered as not guilty.

Throughout the trial Laverty claimed to have no knowledge of any of the burglaries or vehicle thefts, despite being captured on doorbell footage at the scene of one of the crimes.

He was sentenced on the same day to seven and a half years in prison.

Detective Constable Josh Bellamy said: “Daniel Laverty hoped that a jury would believe his lies - that he was an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time, attempting to paint himself as just as helpless as his victims.

“I am pleased that those lies were not believed. He has been rightly convicted for what was a selfish spree targeting innocent people in their homes."