Burglar lay in wait to target couple's home before stealing £20,000 worth of jewellery, including late mother's irreplaceable pendent

Anthony Wragg, 34, watched and waited for the occupants of a house in Newcroft Close, Sheffield, to leave before putting gloves on and breaking into the property on December 11, last year.

Once inside Wragg, of no fixed abode, ransacked the property and stole a number of items, including jewellery, and a pendant belonging to the late mother of one of the home owners.

In total, the jewellery Wragg stole was valued in the region of £20,000.

He then fled the scene with a bag and rucksack full of stolen goods.

Police were called and officers carried out house-to-house enquiries.

Acting Detective Sergeant Dean Craik from Sheffield’s dedicated burglary team said: "Upon receiving the report of burglary, our officers carried out house-to-house enquiries and were able to recover CCTV footage that crucially captured Wragg arriving at the scene, waiting for the victims to leave, before putting gloves on and committing his crime.

"Further CCTV enquiries traced Wragg’s movements back to a vehicle, which we discovered was on cloned plates and had been active in both Rotherham and Sheffield.

“We alerted officers in both districts and on December 16, Wragg was arrested by officers in Rotherham who saw him travelling in the cloned car.”

When officers searched the vehicle, they recovered a jewellery box that contained many of the items of jewellery taken from the burglary in Sheffield, including the sentimental pendant.

Acting Det Sgt Craik said: “I am really pleased that we were able to recover the items of jewellery, especially the pendant which was irreplaceable given its significant emotional value.

"We searched two properties connected to Wragg, where we recovered items of clothing and the rucksack seen on the CCTV from the burglary.

“I want to recognise the efforts of those officers involved in this investigation, who worked relentlessly to gather evidence and whose commitment ensured that we were able to reunite the victims with their possessions.”

Wragg pleaded guilty to burglary and handling stolen goods when he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday.

He was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.