A burglar who showed no concern for families, putting them in fear in their own homes has been jailed for more than four years for his role in a number of burglaries in Warrington and Leigh.
Kane Nolan, aged 22, of Ena Crescent, Leigh, appeared in Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 30 August where he was sentenced to 57 months. He had previously pleaded guilty to joint enterprise of a burglary of a dwelling at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 25 July.
Following his arrest he claimed he had only been the driver but refused to identify his accomplices.
On 3 September 2021, police received reports of a break-in at an address in Ashberry Drive, Appleton, while the owner was on holiday. Officers discovered a rear French door panel had been smashed and a search of the master bedroom had taken place. A hammer had been left on the bedroom floor, which the owner confirmed belonged to him, but was usually kept in the garden.
Several items of jewellery were stolen which were of sentimental value. But the following day, a Facebook post alerted the complainant to items of jewellery being found nearby. After making police aware, officers conducted a search of the area where the jewellery was found, and a handbag was also discovered which was identified as stolen.
As part of enquiries, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) data was reviewed and showed a silver Mercedes in the Warrington area near the address shortly before and after the incident. This was registered to Nolan. Cell site analysis also put Nolan’s mobile phone in the area around the time of the offence.
Just one week later, on 10 September 2021, another property was targeted in Ashberry Drive. CCTV footage showed men picking up an ornament in a garden and using it to ram open a garage door.
Luckily, they were not able to open the door in the garage which leads to the rest of the property, and the occupants were alerted and called police.
Despite the homeowner shouting at the offenders to leave, they still attempted to gain access, before escaping via the garden gate.
Again, ANPR and cell site data showed Nolan’s vehicle and mobile phone were in the area at the time of the offence.
On 21 October 2021, Nolan was arrested by Greater Manchester Police and Cheshire Constabulary following a warrant executed at his home address.
Nolan was interviewed under caution and stated he was not inside the addresses during the offences and was only the driver. He refused to identify his co-conspirators.
He was later charged on 21 July 2022.
Nolan was also linked to a similar incident in Hope Street, Leigh, on 1 August 2021, in which three men smashed the back door of a property and gained entry.
They were in possession of a metal baseball bat, which one offender used to hit the occupant to the head, and were also in possession of a claw hammer. The occupant required stitches and painkillers, and suffered temporary nerve damage as a result.
Following Nolan’s sentencing, Detective Constable Neil Mooney said:“I welcome the sentence handed to Nolan. He showed no concern for the families he targeted, putting them through an extremely traumatic and frightening experience.
“These offences put a huge strain on people’s lives, not only with the financial impact, but also making people feel unsafe in their homes, which is the one place everyone should be able to feel comfortable.
“While I am glad Nolan is now behind bars, it is clear he did not act alone. If anyone has any information, you can contact us via 101 or through our website.”
