A PAIR of burglars stole jewellery and attempted to take a vintage motorcycle before hiding in bushes to evade detection from police.

Benjamin Edward Jenkins, 47 and of no fixed address, and Rebecca Louise Conlan, 42 and of Stapleford Close, Romsey, broke into a property in Ramley Road in Pennington at around 9.45pm.

The pair got into the home through a bathroom window and completed a ‘messy’ search of the house, with Conlan taking a quantity of jewellery.

They then attempted to steal a vintage motorcycle from an unattached garage, in the raid on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.

Officers attended the scene, and found Jenkins and Conlan hiding at the bottom of a large and overgrown garden.

Forensics from in the bathroom belonged to Jenkins, and jewellery belonging to one of the victim’s family members was found inside a backpack carried by Conlan.

Police obtained more evidence from seized phones, with messages between the pair discussing their plans to break in and steal property from the address and another that Jenkins was staying at in Totton.

Motorcycle parts dealers’ details were found and enquiries showed that they had sold parts that were in the property in Pennington.

Jenkins and Conlan appeared at Southampton Crown Court on September 20 and pleaded guilty to the offences put to them.

Jenkins was convicted of burglary dwelling and theft from a dwelling, while Conlan was convicted of burglary non-dwelling and handling stolen goods.

Appearing again at court on Wednesday, October 11, Jenkins was given a custodial sentence of 18 months, while Conlan was sentence to eight months in prison.

Detective Constable Rob Harnett, said: “Burglary is such an intrusive crime for anyone who has been a victim, but thankfully, no one was present in the address at the time that the offences were committed.

“The pair were calculated in their actions and showed clear motivation to commit burglary at the two address known to Jenkins; having already sold a number of items stolen from the property in Pennington.

“We are hopeful that news that the pair are now behind bars is welcomed by the local community, safe in the knowledge that they will not be out on the streets for a prolonged period. We will continue to relentlessly pursue criminals who cause harm in our communities and bring those responsible to justice.

“As a reminder to local residents, please remember to shut, and lock, all windows - no matter how small they are - to ensure that access to your property is secure at all times when you’re not in.”

If you see anything suspicious, make a report via the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website or by calling 101. Dial 999 immediately if it is an emergency or if a crime is in progress.