0:00:02 > 0:00:04Thieves will steal our cars,
0:00:04 > 0:00:09our valuables, just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11To cut down on crime and antisocial behaviour
0:00:11 > 0:00:15police and other agencies are using new technology and tactics
0:00:15 > 0:00:18where the bad guys are actually getting caught in the act.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21I can see the man actually commit the robbery.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Lovely. Thank you very much!
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Local councils, shops and businesses are laying some traps of their own.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Why should we feel frightened for the rest of our lives?
0:00:29 > 0:00:30And the general public, too,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33can help unsuspecting crooks get their comeuppance.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35No way are you getting away!
0:00:35 > 0:00:38We did it for everyone else as well that she might be stealing from.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40We will name and shame you.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43So, anyone who's up to no good had better think twice.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46They might just get caught red-handed!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Today...a victim comes face-to-face with intruders in her own home.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00When people say that you taste fear,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02I literally felt like that.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07But these three armed raiders, about to terrorise a homeowner in Kent,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09are making a big mistake.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Also today... a masked man is holding up a shop.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17But then a customer comes in, so he decides to drop his mask
0:01:17 > 0:01:20and pretend he's a really helpful shop assistant.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And, is nothing sacred?
0:01:23 > 0:01:24Well, sadly not.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28A churchgoer who collects the collection for himself.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41A quiet, residential street,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45but one of the householders here is about to have a truly
0:01:45 > 0:01:47terrifying experience.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Three hooded men walk up the path and knock on the door.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54One of them's holding a hammer.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58When the woman, who's on her own inside, answers the door
0:01:58 > 0:02:01they rush in to rob the place.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05To have the hammer literally raised above the offender's head,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07threatening you with violence,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09I can't imagine what the victim went through.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Facing a robbery in your own home is very rare, but must be one of the
0:02:14 > 0:02:17most frightening experiences a person can go through.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21We're near Maidstone in Kent.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Two burglaries are reported on the same day.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27On both occasions, the owners are out.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Apart from stealing valuables from the first house,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34the thieves also take the owner's car, a Saab, from the driveway.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Then they use the car to drive to the second house
0:02:38 > 0:02:40and burgle that, too.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43By the end of the first day's offending, they've managed to
0:02:43 > 0:02:45get away with in the region of five grand's worth of property,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49including the car. More importantly, was the items of sentimental value,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52which obviously is devastating for the victims.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54And the next day, things get worse.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58That stolen Saab turns up in the town of Aylesham,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01approximately 14 miles away from the first two burglaries.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07It parks up outside a house. But this house isn't unoccupied.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11The woman homeowner is in and these three hooded men know it.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14That makes this a more serious crime than burglary.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It's outright robbery - taking by force.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20This was a particularly nasty offence. There was a female
0:03:20 > 0:03:23home alone at the property during the daytime and they approached
0:03:23 > 0:03:26the front door all dressed up in hoodies.
0:03:26 > 0:03:27So, quite intimidating.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29You can see one of the males, quite disturbingly,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32is armed with a claw hammer.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35The three offenders literally barged their way through the door,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38causing the victim a great deal of distress and worry
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and the hammer was used to threaten the victim, which was
0:03:41 > 0:03:42obviously terrifying for her,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46and they forced her to go to her under-stairs cupboard,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48where there is a safe kept.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52She's forced to empty the contents of the safe into a plastic bag,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55whilst one of the males goes upstairs, where
0:03:55 > 0:03:59he finds a further safe containing cash and jewellery.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Having got what they came for, the offenders leave,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05one carrying the safe and one holding a plastic bag
0:04:05 > 0:04:06full of other valuables.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11They drive off, giving no thought for the traumatised homeowner.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17The victim was confronted with a hammer and she's suffered from that.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20She's currently depressed, doesn't want to go out any more,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23it's had a real impact on her
0:04:23 > 0:04:26so, it's quite shocking really that an offender would choose to
0:04:26 > 0:04:29use that against, in essence, a defenceless woman.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31I can't imagine what the victim went through.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36That lady understandably would rather not appear on camera,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39but someone else who knows exactly what it's like to go through
0:04:39 > 0:04:42such a terrifying ordeal is Karen.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46There's two guys, there's me, I'm very vulnerable
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and when people say that you taste fear,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I literally felt like that.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54I f... I tasted fear.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Some years back, Karen bought a house in Manchester
0:04:59 > 0:05:01and was sleeping on a mattress on the floor
0:05:01 > 0:05:05because she was waiting for a new bed to arrive.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08At about 4:30 I suddenly
0:05:08 > 0:05:12became aware of these two men in the room
0:05:12 > 0:05:15and they had their backs to me and they were looking out the window
0:05:15 > 0:05:19and they were talking about the cars outside. I couldn't believe it.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22You know, you are in complete and utter shock.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25What are these two guys doing standing at my window?
0:05:25 > 0:05:30The two men had broken through the patio doors and as it's dark, she
0:05:30 > 0:05:34is so low to the ground they have no idea Karen is in the room.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37And I just shouted out to them,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39"What the hell are you doing?"
0:05:39 > 0:05:43And I expected them to turn and run.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I expected them to go, oh, goodness, there is someone in the house.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49And they didn't.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53They turned the light on and it was almost like a sense of, "Great(!)"
0:05:54 > 0:05:58They then started to say to me, "Where's your car keys?
0:05:58 > 0:05:59"Where's your car keys?"
0:05:59 > 0:06:03I just felt that I should be quite passive, keeping my head low.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06There's two guys, there's me, I'm very vulnerable.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10I have a little T-shirt on. There's no-one else here.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Because they didn't have any fear, that they weren't going to leave
0:06:14 > 0:06:20in a hurry, I got a sense that the situation might get worse.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22I knew I had to get out.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Karen says she thinks her car keys might be in the pocket of her
0:06:25 > 0:06:28coat in the hall and quickly goes to check.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31And it gave me I think probably five seconds,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35three seconds, in order that I could throw open the front door.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38She runs out into the street,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40barefoot and screaming as loud as she can.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44And then I started on people's front doors, just pounding, help me,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46help me, someone help me
0:06:46 > 0:06:47and I turned round and one of them
0:06:47 > 0:06:50had followed me, the more aggressive of the two.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51He just swore at me
0:06:51 > 0:06:55and he obviously was very angry that I'd managed to get away.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59He lunged at me, but I didn't feel anything.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03I suppose the adrenaline just takes you away from any feeling.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08The man then runs away while Karen heads for a nearby friend's house.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12And as I was knocking on his door trying to wake him up,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16I suddenly became aware I had got a wet patch under my arm.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It was blood. So then I realised I'd obviously...
0:07:21 > 0:07:22..been stabbed.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29She needed seven stitches to a wound under her armpit.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31She still bears the scar.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34The men who threatened her were never caught.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Years on, she now lives in a different area.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40A lot of people have said to me since, you know,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44how could you possibly have even slept in the house again?
0:07:44 > 0:07:47How could you possibly ever sleep on your own again?
0:07:47 > 0:07:51But I think the whole thing is for me that because I did get away
0:07:51 > 0:07:55and they didn't get what they wanted they hadn't got one up on me.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I just feel that I...
0:07:58 > 0:07:59I beat them.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Later, back in Kent, the police get several leads
0:08:07 > 0:08:09to help track down the robbers,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13including some rather incriminating text messages.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16For example, "We're in the countryside,
0:08:16 > 0:08:17"we're in a Saab.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20"I've got a safe full of gold, baby, cash, baby, cash, baby."
0:08:25 > 0:08:28You know that phrase "honour amongst thieves"?
0:08:28 > 0:08:30What a load of rubbish. I don't believe it.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34But I do believe some thefts are more dishonourable than others.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36But you'd like to think no-one would stoop so low
0:08:36 > 0:08:39as to steal from a church, wouldn't you?
0:08:45 > 0:08:46It's a Sunday,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50so there's nothing unusual seeing someone arriving at church.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53But despite signing the cross as he enters,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56this man's intentions are anything but holy.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01He heads straight for an iron candle stand in the corner,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05but it's the metal box attached to the candle stand he's after,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08because that's where parishioners put their donations
0:09:08 > 0:09:10when lighting candles.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12I couldn't imagine anybody doing it to begin with,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14and then I realised, of course,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16somebody had actually walked off with it.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Yes - this man can't get at the money in the box.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21So what does he do?
0:09:21 > 0:09:24He forces the whole candle stand from its fixings
0:09:24 > 0:09:25and takes it with him.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27It's not just the money, or the damage -
0:09:27 > 0:09:31he's desecrated a place that holds special meaning for people.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41The ancient market town of Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47At the heart of the community is St John's Roman Catholic Church
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and at the heart of the church is Father John Walsh.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Until, perhaps, the last 30 or 40 years,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57most people would regard churches as very sacred places
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and everything in them would be treated with the greatest respect.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04That HAS changed - I think, in a sense,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06many people have lost a sense of the sacred.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10It seems churches have become fair game for thieves.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Theft from churches has become very common over the years
0:10:14 > 0:10:18because they're, we could say, soft targets, in a way.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Most churches are kept open all day and, inevitably,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24for some of that time, there's no-one in them.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26I suppose all crime, at every level, is based on the fact
0:10:26 > 0:10:29that you don't believe you're going to be caught.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33But now there is security equipment that can help protect churches.
0:10:33 > 0:10:39As a precaution, we decided to put in CCTV in case there are incidents
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and, in a sense, to protect our property.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I think insurers advised us to have CCTV nowadays.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49And an incident does happen,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52just a few months after the cameras had been installed.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Father John is in his study with his dog Oscar,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58who's waiting for his Sunday walk.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01The church has been empty since the morning mass.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03I was preparing to take the dog for a walk,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06came in the church to make sure everything was all right,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08that there was no-one who needed to see me or anything like that.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12At that point, I realised the candles were all over the floor.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15I was a little bit taken aback and puzzled.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I couldn't imagine anybody doing it, to begin with.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21And then I realised, of course,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24somebody had actually walked off with it.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Father John turns detective and watches the recorded CCTV.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31The images were fairly clear, I think,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33and we could see what actually had happened.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35A man rides in on a pushbike...
0:11:37 > 0:11:38..then makes the sign of the cross
0:11:38 > 0:11:42before making his way over to the candle stand.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45He seems very unhurried and very unworried,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48given the fact that it is a church open for the day
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and anybody could have walked in.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53The collection box that's fixed to the stand is thought to contain
0:11:53 > 0:11:59about £50 worth of donations made by parishioners who've lit a candle.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01But the man can't actually get to the money.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04He's grappling with the candle stand and probably trying to,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08um...take the screw out of the tile that keeps it in place.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11He forces the heavy stand free from the floor.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15He was obviously a fairly robust man to be able to pick it up
0:12:15 > 0:12:17so easily and take it with him.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21He goes to collect his bike and leaves.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Father John is about as forgiving as any man can be,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28but there's a chance the thief will return to raid again.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30So he decides to call the police.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32The police found no forensic evidence,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34but we had the CCTV and gave it to them.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Local officers don't recognise the man,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40so they post images of him from the recorded footage
0:12:40 > 0:12:44in the regional press, hoping that someone else does -
0:12:44 > 0:12:45and it pays off.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48A retired policeman recognised him in the photograph
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and called the police and said, "I know who the man is."
0:12:51 > 0:12:54They were able then to make contact with him.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00In court, the man's sentenced to 18 weeks in prison,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02suspended for 12 months.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07He's also ordered to pay £325 compensation to St John's Church.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13I was greatly relieved when his trial came that he was not sent to prison.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I don't think that that would have helped the man.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17We have a number of people who call
0:13:17 > 0:13:20and they all need assistance of some kind.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23If he'd have come and said, "Look, I'm in a desperate state
0:13:23 > 0:13:24"and I need help",
0:13:24 > 0:13:26we could've called in a number of people
0:13:26 > 0:13:28who might have been able to provide that help.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31The missing candle stand was eventually retrieved
0:13:31 > 0:13:32from a nearby field.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35We have a wonderful parishioner called Neville Booth
0:13:35 > 0:13:37who does so many things around the church,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39so he took it home and restored it.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42There have been no further incidents at the church.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44It's now back in pride of place,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48with the CCTV cameras helping to make sure it stays there.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50We've had no further incidents, so hopefully,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53we'll be able to leave the church open for longer stretches.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Parishioners pop in now and then and sometimes you come in,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58you realise that candles have been lit and people are happy to do that
0:13:58 > 0:14:00and people come in to pray, which is good.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Coming up, a tea leaf in a tea shop.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12It takes just 30 seconds to empty its pot of money.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16But police manage to bag him by teatime.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20And back in Kent, one of the robbers has made a huge mistake...
0:14:20 > 0:14:22He's not the brightest criminal in the world.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24..and the police are hot on his trail.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30There's no genuine pleasure in crime and its effects,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34but I bet we could all admit to feeling a little bit of pleasure
0:14:34 > 0:14:36when a criminal gets his comeuppance.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It's closing time at a shop in Poole, Dorset.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48The shop assistants here are about to have a shattering experience
0:14:48 > 0:14:51as two masked men burst in on them.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54One of the robbers will be carrying a gun.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55I can tell you it's a fake,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58but the people in the shop don't know that.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03Here they come, shouting at the staff to empty the tills.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06While one man gets his bag filled with banknotes,
0:15:06 > 0:15:11his accomplice starts loading boxes of cigarettes into his own bag.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16The gunman demands to be taken to the store's backroom, where more cash is kept.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19But at this point, events take a rather bizarre turn.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23While the man out front is raiding the tobacco stand,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25a customer walks in,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28completely oblivious to the fact there is a robbery in progress.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31This leaves our robber with a problem.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33"I know, I'll pretend I work here."
0:15:33 > 0:15:37He pulls down his mask. Shopkeepers don't usually wear those.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42And he asks the assistant to serve the woman as if nothing is wrong.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46"Hi, how are you? The weather's been terrible, hasn't it?"
0:15:46 > 0:15:50All the while, the robber's stash bag is by his feet.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53After what must have felt like a pretty long time
0:15:53 > 0:15:55for robber and shop assistant,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57the customer leaves.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59To avoid other interruptions,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02he gets the assistant to lock the doors.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05By this time, the other masked intruder
0:16:05 > 0:16:07has finished emptying the backroom
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and returns, signalling the pair should leave.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14The assistant releases the door and the pair get clean away.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Well, one of them does,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19because pulling his mask down earlier
0:16:19 > 0:16:22was not this robber's brightest move.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25His face is soon plastered all over the local press.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28While his partner in crime is still at large,
0:16:28 > 0:16:3343-year-old Yunus Patel is soon caught.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37The nature of this armed raid, albeit with a fake gun,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40means in court he is banged up for four years.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Now, we are back in Kent.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56In just two days here, there have been three serious crimes.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00A couple of burglaries on day one in the Maidstone area,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02where, apart from other items,
0:17:02 > 0:17:03a Saab car is stolen.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07On day two, a more serious robbery at the house in Aylesham,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10where a hammer is used to threaten the homeowner.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Now it's day three
0:17:12 > 0:17:14and near the town of Folkestone
0:17:14 > 0:17:17two hooded men approach a house on foot.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Yet again it was another robbery
0:17:19 > 0:17:21involving a lone female at home.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24This, again, was a particularly nasty incident.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26The hooded men ring the bell
0:17:26 > 0:17:30and pile in as soon as the door is answered.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33The shocking thing in relation to this case is that they were armed,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35each offender had a large kitchen knife on them.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38As you can imagine, that was very terrifying for the victim.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41She was forced to remove jewellery from her fingers
0:17:41 > 0:17:44and hand over the jewellery to the offenders.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46The victim was subjected to an assault
0:17:46 > 0:17:48where her hair was pulled,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52she was literally pulled to the floor by the offenders,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55causing a large clump of her hair to come out.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Leaving the 52-year-old woman lying on the floor,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01the two men go about ransacking the rest of the house.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Spotting her chance, she gets up and escapes.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Running out into the road,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09she desperately flags down a passing van driver.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11When we spoke to the member of the public,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14he was explaining how the female was hysterical
0:18:14 > 0:18:18and had difficulty getting her words out, which was obviously understandable,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21but he soon established that a serious offence was taking place
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and he did the brave thing to help out,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26so we're really grateful for his assistance.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28The driver, with the woman now in his van,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31pulls up outside her house and phones the police.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35At this point in time, the offenders are still inside the property
0:18:35 > 0:18:39and unaware that the victim has managed to escape.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42When they do realise, the pair run out of the house
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and use the woman's own car as a getaway vehicle.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49They tear out of the drive past her, turning right.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52It was later abandoned by the robbers.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54These thieves must think they have got clean away.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57But the police have a lead on the robbery at the house in Aylesham
0:18:57 > 0:18:59the day before.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03A small CCTV camera there, over the porch,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06has recorded this very useful footage.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09The key breakthrough came from the hammer robbery.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12The victim kindly provided police with her private footage,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15which showed very clear images of the three offenders.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20From that, the police were able to identify two of the males by name.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22They are Jeremy Waller, here,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and George Dunn, who is holding the hammer.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28These two are known to associate with another man, Anthony Wood.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Even though they never fully see the third robber's face,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34police are certain that it is him,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37so much so that they raid all three men's houses,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39and they are right.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Evidence linking Wood is discovered.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43And at Waller's...
0:19:43 > 0:19:45We found jewellery from that robbery,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47which helped us greatly.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Also, in the washing machine,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53we found clothing worn during the knife-point robbery that was significant.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57It matched exactly what we saw on the CCTV footage
0:19:57 > 0:20:01and also we found property from the initial two burglaries.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05That linked all four offences together.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Wood and Dunn admit they are guilty of this hammer robbery.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12But amazingly, despite evidence to the contrary,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Waller maintains he is innocent.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18But Waller has misjudged the amount of evidence
0:20:18 > 0:20:21the police have gathered against him.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24As well as the goods and clothes found at his home,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27the stolen Saab used in the first three crimes
0:20:27 > 0:20:29has been found where it was dumped,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31with his fingerprints in it.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33And as if that wasn't enough...
0:20:33 > 0:20:37A phone belonging to his girlfriend was also seized by the police
0:20:37 > 0:20:40and there were several incriminating text messages found on that phone,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43for example, "We're in the countryside in a Saab.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47"I've got a safe full of gold, baby, cash, baby, cash, baby."
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Hm, that will be just after the robbery that he said he wasn't at.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54He must have felt professionally embarrassed by those messages
0:20:54 > 0:20:56because they were so damning.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58And the final nail in Waller's coffin is the fact
0:20:58 > 0:21:03that the police can now trace where he was when he sent the messages.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06And yes, the phone records show him
0:21:06 > 0:21:08travelling between the sites of the robberies.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Criminals know that the police will download phones.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13So, as I said, he's made a schoolboy error.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15It's a stupid thing to do, he's not the brightest
0:21:15 > 0:21:17criminal in the world and it made our lives a lot easier.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19At the last minute,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Waller rather unsurprisingly changes his plea to guilty.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29In court, moving testimonies are read out from the female
0:21:29 > 0:21:32victims of the robberies.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Waller, who can be linked to all four crimes, is sentenced
0:21:35 > 0:21:37to 16 years in jail.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Wood and Dunn are convicted for the Aylesham hammer robbery.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47They are given six and eight years in jail apiece.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52The offenders, in total, got 30 years' custody, which is
0:21:52 > 0:21:53a significant sentence,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56and I hope that sends out a clear message that
0:21:56 > 0:21:58if you're going to consider committing this type of crime,
0:21:58 > 0:22:03the chances are you will get caught and we will lock you up.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05The victims are safe in the knowledge that these
0:22:05 > 0:22:08people will be off the streets for a very long time.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Fortunately, facing robbers like that is very rare
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and very unlikely ever to happen to us.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23And that doesn't stop most of us wondering sometimes
0:22:23 > 0:22:26what exactly we'd do in those circumstances.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30If you come face to face with a burglar, avoid confrontation.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33If you have to act, make as much noise as possible,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35then contact the police as soon as you can.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Do not be tempted to clear away any mess,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41because you may be destroying evidence.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44If they want your property, give them your property.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Property can be replaced.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48But injury to you can't be
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and obviously leaves a significant impact on you.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53This experience can be quite traumatic.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Contact Victim Support for the services that they can offer you.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09You'd think criminals would work out that shops often have cameras
0:23:09 > 0:23:11these days.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13But here's another who doesn't.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16It's early on a Sunday morning in Portsmouth.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18He's outside a business that sells types of tea.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Suddenly, he kicks hard at the door...and breaks in.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Burglary is scary for anybody.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31It's not just a business to me, it's almost more like my home.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34It leaves a bitter taste for the tea shop's owner.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38This is one type of tea leaf he doesn't want in his shop.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41But an excellent blend of camera footage and
0:23:41 > 0:23:44detective work is about to revive his spirits.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54This company in Portsmouth imports and blends different types of tea.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58It's owned by Andrew Gadsden, who's been infused with interest
0:23:58 > 0:24:01in the perfect cuppa ever since he was seven.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05My mother had a gift pack of tea given to her
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and no-one drank it, so after a while I asked if I could try them
0:24:08 > 0:24:12and just worked my way through each one, one after the other.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Ever since that day, I've been fascinated by tea.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18After a stint in the Royal Navy, Andrew
0:24:18 > 0:24:20turned his hobby into a business.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22I just started in a small way in my flat
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and it's just gradually grown over the last six years.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28As well as making blends of tea, they make pots of tea too,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31lovingly brewed up by Ashleigh.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I work here part time, I'm also a student.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Erm, on Sundays I manage the shop and it is a very welcoming
0:24:37 > 0:24:40place and our customers are generally really, really friendly.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43People really seem to have taken the tea company to their hearts,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46as something which is an essential part of this town.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52But one Sunday, a man comes along whose heart isn't set on the tea
0:24:52 > 0:24:54but on the money in the tea shop's till.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Andrew is at home, having breakfast, when his phone rings
0:24:57 > 0:25:01with an alert that the burglar alarm at his shop has been triggered.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04That was the day the clocks had changed.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07So, my first thought was that my colleague, Ashleigh, has forgotten
0:25:07 > 0:25:11that the clocks have changed today and arrived for work an hour early.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14When Andrew phoned me, he woke me up and said, "Are you in early?"
0:25:14 > 0:25:18And I, kind of, thought, "No, no...I'm still in bed."
0:25:18 > 0:25:20It was a bit confusing.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23It was at that point that I got a telephone call from Ben.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Ben is a friend of Andrew's
0:25:25 > 0:25:27who walks past the shop on his way to work.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Now, I was really worried and I rushed to finish my breakfast
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and got someone to give me a lift in because my car was broken down.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36We came in together and had a look because, of course,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38we didn't know what we were going to find.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41What they find is the shop till has been opened and that £535,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43in banknotes, is missing.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I had a quick look around,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I couldn't see any other damage...thank goodness.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Cos that was my real fear, that there'd be a lot of other
0:25:50 > 0:25:53damage that would take us a long time to rectify.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Andrew checks the morning's recorded CCTV footage.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It's an extraordinary thing when you see the pictures
0:25:59 > 0:26:02of someone you don't know smashing their way into your business.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I had a feeling of unreality when I saw it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08A man with a yellow jacket stops by the front door.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11With no attempt to hide his identity,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13he violently kicks the glass.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17He's in.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Oops...after a quick stumble he heads straight to the till...
0:26:23 > 0:26:25..springs the drawer open and grabs the money,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27then makes a hasty getaway.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32It's all over in less than half a minute.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37It's going to take him 24 seconds from entering to leaving.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I just couldn't believe how quickly he'd managed to do it.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43He must've known something about the shop and the till,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47which shocked me, somewhat, because no-one recognised him.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49He's a quick burglar. When the police come,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53they also are pretty quick to think of ways to identify him.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55One key thing the policeman did
0:26:55 > 0:27:00was to video my CCTV monitor,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02using his mobile phone.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06The police officer immediately sends the video clip to police
0:27:06 > 0:27:09stations around Portsmouth, and the mini broadcast soon pays off,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12when an officer identifies the burglar.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Approximately at three o'clock that afternoon,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16the police made his arrest.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The burglar admits to the crime straightaway.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Ten o'clock the following morning, 26 hours after the original
0:27:23 > 0:27:27incident, he was pleading guilty in the magistrates' court.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29That's got to be a good result.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35He is convicted and he is given a nine-month community order.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Unfortunately, even though the police arrested him quickly,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42he'd already managed to spend the money he'd stolen.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Now, Andrew never leaves money in the till when the shop is closed.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It goes without saying that every business should remove
0:27:49 > 0:27:53the money from the till every night and I hope that some people
0:27:53 > 0:27:57who've been making that mistake will learn from our misfortune.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I hope that's one good thing that will come out of this experience.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Actually, another good thing that's come out of this is the support
0:28:05 > 0:28:08and goodwill that's poured into his tea shop ever since.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Portsmouth people love tea and I was overwhelmed by the support
0:28:12 > 0:28:14we had after the break-in.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Erm, and it was nice, you know, it really helped us all get through it.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23That's it for today.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24Join us next time,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28when the police and the public catch more criminals...red-handed!