Brighton burglar jailed for breaking into two homes

A 23-year-old burglar has been jailed for two years for breaking into two people’s homes.

Joel Elliott, who has no fixed address but who used to live in North Road, Brighton, admitted the burglaries at Lewes Crown Court.

He broke into a house on Cheltenham Place in the North Laine area of Brighton between 10.30am and noon on Sunday 26 May.

He took jewellery, two cameras and a laptop before making off but he left his fingerprints behind.

Elliott had also tried to break into a home in East Drive in the Queen’s Park area of Brighton shortly after 6pm on Saturday 27 April. He smashed a window but fled having disturbed the occupant.

Sussex Police said: “The conviction is another success for officers working on Operation Magpie, the force’s crackdown on burglary across the county.”

Joel Elliott

Detective Constable Scott Elmer, of the Brighton and Hove Priority Crime Unit, said: “This is an excellent result for the people of Brighton and Hove as it means one more burglar off our streets.

“We will continue to deal robustly with anyone caught committing burglary in our city.”

Last November Elliott was cleared by a jury at Lewes Crown Court of the murder of Jeff Burrows in his Norfolk Square flat in April last year.