Prolific Gloucester burglar jailed

A prolific Gloucester burglar has been jailed following a series of thefts in the city.

Leon Pettigrew, aged 41 and of Matson Avenue, pleaded guilty to eight offences when he appeared at Gloucester Crown Court last Wednesday (2 March).

Pettigrew faced two charges relating to burglaries at a property in Barton Street and another at a Gloucester primary school.

A further six burglaries from the Barton and Tredworth areas were also taken into account.

A number of Pettigrew’s victims were either vulnerable or elderly, with many in their homes when he broke in.

He was sentenced to 57 months in prison, of which part will be served on licence.

Martin Cuffe, Crime Scene Co-ordinator, said: "The sentence followed a great effort from teams across the Constabulary: from the initial attending officers; the Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCO); the lead investigators and their colleagues on their local teams; the Forensic Services department; and the Criminal Justice Department, liaising with CPS.

“Pettigrew has been a prolific burglar in Gloucester, bringing misery to so many victims.

“But thanks to a huge amount of work across all the teams involved, he has been left with no choice but to plead guilty to a number of offences.

“It’s been a great illustration of what we can accomplish when we all work together with a common goal, and this result has saved several victims the pain of attending court.”