22-year-old Liam Carroll made off with six vehicles worth more than £170,000 during his crime wave between July 2024 and last October.
The first burglary took place in Fetcham while the occupants slept.
The vehicle was recovered in Ashtead, and forensic officers retrieved Carroll’s fingerprint from inside the targeted address.
Carroll struck again in September 2024 when he burgled a property in Tadworth, stealing the keys to a grey BMW 520D, along with two wallets containing the victims’ bank cards and driving licences.
As part of the investigation, officers examined Carroll’s mobile phone and discovered videos showing him driving the stolen BMW before filming a red BMW, which enquiries established had also been stolen from an address in Ewell.
Both vehicles, worth a combined £23,000, were recovered. One of the victim’s driving licences was later found discarded in bushes outside Carroll’s home address.
Further enquiries uncovered a third stolen BMW, a 320D worth approximately £24,500, which had been stolen from an address in Purley, just a day after the other thefts.
Phone analysis revealed multiple videos of Carroll posing alongside the stolen vehicle with an associate. The vehicle has never been recovered.
Carroll continued his crime spree by targeting a property in Sutton, where he forced entry by snapping a door lock before stealing the keys to a Porsche 911 worth more than £65,000.
Although the vehicle was not recovered, officers later found the broken door lock during a search of Carroll’s home, linking him to the offence.
The following year, while on conditional bail, Carroll offended again after entering a property in Cheam through unlocked rear doors while the victim was asleep inside. He stole the keys to a BMW i5 Touring M Sport worth more than £23,000 before driving away.
CCTV captured Carroll leaving the scene in the vehicle, while the victim’s tracking system enabled officers to locate and recover the car a short time later after it had been abandoned in Russell Hill in Purley.
Carroll, was sentenced to two years and 11 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to six counts of theft of a motor vehicle, four counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary with intent to steal.
He was also ordered to pay £228.00 in costs.
Investigation officer, PC Joe Brown said: “Carroll repeatedly targeted people’s homes, stealing vehicles that victims had worked hard to own and leaving them with the lasting impact of having their homes burgled.
“This was a complex investigation involving forensic evidence, CCTV, digital evidence and meticulous investigative work to build a compelling case. Every piece of evidence played an important role in demonstrating the full extent of Carroll’s offending.
“We remain committed to pursuing those responsible for acquisitive crime, no matter how determined they are to avoid justice. If you choose to steal from our communities, we will work tirelessly to identify you, gather the evidence and bring you before the courts.”
