Prolific burglar jailed for more than five years

A prolific burglar who stole a car and used it to commit a burglary in Helsby has been jailed for more than five years.

Karl Donoghue, 27, of Barnston Avenue, Ellesmere Port, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 8 March to five years and four months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the offences.

The court heard that in the early hours of 20 August 2021, Donoghue gained entry to an address on Sutherland Drive, Eastham and stole car keys for a Volkswagen Golf.

He then made his way, in the stolen vehicle, to a property on Queens Drive, Helsby.

It was there where Donoghue made a search of the property, stealing two licensed shotguns, two knives, a martial arts sword and a baseball bat before fleeing the scene in the stolen vehicle.

Later on that day, the Volkswagen Golf was discovered in Little Sutton – missing its registration plates.

Police attended the scene and enquiries revealed that this was the car stolen from Eastham – inside were the number plates along with items including the stolen sword and baseball bat from the property in Helsby.

On 24 August, officers arrested Donoghue and seized his mobile phone.

Checks revealed that the phone was in the same location as the stolen vehicle and matched the phone and ANPR hits travelling in the same direction across Cheshire.

Donoghue was subsequently charged with two burglaries, two counts of possession of a shotgun without certificate and three counts of possession of a bladed article.

Detective Constable Steve Popplestone of Ellesmere Port proactive team said: “Donoghue caused misery by targeting hard-working and law abiding residents in order to make criminal gain.

“Donoghue attempted to hide his tracks by stealing a car and using that car to commit the burglary where he took items estimated to be worth thousands of pounds.

“His actions soon caught up with him, leaving the vehicle without its plates in a residential area with it soon being reported to police.

“I hope that this sends a clear message that we will not stop in detaining those who disrupt our communities and will do all we can to bring them to justice – just as we have done with Donoghue."