Man who helped Brighton burglar is sentenced

A man who helped a burglar behind a string of high-value break-ins, including in Brighton, has been sentenced.

Anthony Fortune, 55, forged invoices to help Darryl Aldridge, 48, sell stolen goods.

Aldridge was the ringleader behind a series of burglaries targeting private homes and auction houses with upcoming sales.

Even while on police bail for eight auction house burglaries, Aldridge carried out three high-value burglaries in private homes in Brighton and Lancing.

Fortune, of Park Road, Worthing, had been charged with perverting the course of justice in relation to creating fictitious invoices for Aldridge.

He created a fake invoice for a valuable antique Klotz violin which was stolen during a burglary at Stroud Auctions in Gloucestershire in October 2011.

The violin was found at Aldridge’s home address less than 36 hours after the burglary.

Darryl Aldridge and Anthony Townsend

Aldridge initially claimed that Fortune had found the violin in a skip outside a shop in Worthing and had sold it to him.

But during his trial in February, Aldridge admitted that the violin was from Stroud Auctions and that invoices created by Fortune for the violin and other unrelated items were fake.

As Aldridge was convicted for perverting the course of justice for this offence, Fortune’s trial was separated and delayed until last Monday (2 September) for a fair trial to be conducted.

At Hove Crown Court Fortune admitted making a false instrument.

He admitted creating invoices for Aldridge and specifically for the violin and admitted that he had not in fact found the violin or sold it to Aldridge as he had originally claimed.

He said that he suspected that it had been stolen by Aldridge and that he had created the invoices to help Aldridge move the property on.

Fortune was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

Aldridge was sentenced to a total of ten years and nine months in prison, including seven years for the auction house burglaries and three years for breaking into the three houses.

Aldridge’s co-defendant, Anthony Townsend, 50, of Upper Lewes Road, Brighton, was found guilty of the burglary organised by Aldridge at Stroud Auctions. He was jailed for 18 months.

Townsend had also burgled someone’s home in Brighton on Wednesday 26 December last year while he was on bail for the auction room break-in.

He pleaded guilty to this and was given a three-year sentence to be served consecutively, making a total sentence of four and a half years.

Another defendant, Kelly Lambert, 40, of Lavender Hill, Shoreham, pleaded guilty to an offence of theft at Toovey’s Auctions, in Washington, West Sussex, which was orchestrated by Aldridge. She was sentenced to community service.

Sussex Police said: “The investigating officers from the Serious Organised Crime Unit and the force Intelligence Branch are delighted at successfully taking these organised and prolific high-value burglars off the streets, who were travelling throughout the South East to commit their crimes, causing much emotional and economic misery to their victims.

“Aldridge is a career criminal who manipulated others to commit crime on his behalf and his imprisonment has without doubt prevented many other members of the public becoming victims of such crimes.”

Detective Chief Inspector Ali Eaton said: “This was an outstanding investigation by members of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit and their professionalism and hard work was recognised with the award of a court commendation.

“With these individuals now behind bars we have significantly disrupted the group’s activities and dismantled the crime group.

“We will continue to actively pursue those involved in serious and organised crime and ensure they are brought to justice.”