Three jailed over burglary series

Three men have been jailed for their roles in a series of burglaries of homes and other buildings during a period of more than three months in 2024.

Investigating officers linked more than 30 burglaries across Somerset and into Devon between August and November 2024.

On Friday 15 November 2024 they arrested the trio and seized hundreds of suspected stolen items after carrying out search warrants at properties in Street, Bridgwater and Somerton.

The items included antique silverware, paintings, furniture and weapons as well as power tools, garden machinery and electrical items.

Joshua Charles Heal, 25, of Bridgwater and Ethan Paul Sharman, 21, of Somerton admitted:

• conspiring to commit multiple burglaries of dwellings and non-dwellings across Somerset and Devon, with intent to steal, between August and November

Heal was jailed for nine years and three months, and Sharman for six years and eight months at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 31 October.

Sentencing, Judge Hart reflected that this had been a relentless campaign of offending that had brought irreparable harm to the people and properties that had been affected.

Andrew Sharman, 44, of Street, had previously admitted an offence of intentionally encouraging or assisting in the commission of an indictable-only offence (burglary) by:

• providing them with premises in which stolen goods could be stored
• permitting them to use a vehicle, which he had hired, in the commission or certain of the offences and
• when after a burglary had been committed and that vehicle crashed, collected Ethan Sharman from the scene and drove him away.

Andrew Sharman was jailed for 26 months on 5 June 2025.

Officer in the case PC Mark Owen said: “This was a complex investigation by a dedicated team of officers bringing together expertise from across Avon and Somerset Police.

“The offenders targeted a range of premises including large private homes, shops, businesses and outbuildings.

“After reviewing crime reports and building an online gallery of the seized property, as well as holding in-person viewings, we returned many items to their rightful owners.

“Burglary is an invasive crime which can have a significant impact on victims, especially when items of sentimental value have been stolen. Thankfully in this case we were able to return property including jewellery, watches, coins, decorative china, a clock and silverware.

“I sincerely hope the sentences handed to these individuals today bring some semblance of closure to the harm and distress experienced by the victims in all of these burglaries and demonstrate our commitment to ensuring perpetrators of burglaries are brought to justice.”

“Proving that a seized item has been stolen is always an important part of these cases. We would always recommend taking photos of any property of personal significance as proof of ownership.”