A man who burgled 33 homes across Cheshire and other parts of the North West has been jailed for four years.

Charlie Swann, 21, of Meadow Lane, Liverpool was handed the sentence at Chester Crown Court today (Monday, June 18) after pleading guilty to burgling three homes in Ellesmere Port and Neston.

He also admitted being involved in a further 30 burglaries - all of which were taken into consideration upon sentencing.

Detective Sergeant Graeme Carvell said: “This investigation was launched when detectives at Ellesmere Port noticed a trend emerging in car and key burglaries across West Cheshire and Wirral.

“Working with colleagues from Merseyside Police, it became clear that the majority of offences were linked. All of them followed a specific pattern in which the offenders would force entry into the address for the purpose of stealing cars.”


Swann’s arrest came about last month after traces of his DNA were discovered in a vehicle stolen from Ellesmere Port.

Following his arrest, officers seized his mobile phone, on which they discovered an array of images of high value vehicles which had been stolen from addresses across Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire.

He was also found in possession of cloned number plates.

DS Carvell added: “The evidence against Swann was undisputable and he had no option but to plead guilty to all of the charges.

“While he has shown some remorse for his crimes, this will not lessen the impact the incidents had on the victims, although I hope that the prison sentence handed to him will provide some comfort.”

Chief Inspector Alex McMillan said: “Burglary is an appalling crime which targets people in their own home, which is the one place that they should always be able to feel safe.

“In many of these cases the victims were woken up when their homes were targeted, making their ordeals even more terrifying.

“I would like to thank all of the officers and staff who were involved in the investigation, including our colleagues at Merseyside Police.

“Swann was a prolific offender who targeted homes across the region. He had no concerns about the impact his crimes had on the victims and truly believed that he was above the law.

“I hope that the sentence handed to Swann provides reassurance for the local community and acts as a warning to other offenders who are looking to come to Cheshire to commit their crimes.”