Man sentenced for Chichester jewellery sledgehammer burglary

Barry Greenhead, 32, from Havant, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court, following the double burglary on March 7, 2012, which saw two jewellers’ windows smashed with a sledgehammer.

Gold Arts jewellers and Ernest Jones jewellers, in East Street, were both burgled in the early hours of March 7.

Greenhead and others drove off in a car, but it was stopped by police near the Drayton roundabout. He ran away from the car and the court was told he was tracked by a police dog. He was followed to the garden of a nearby home, where he was found with the jewellery on him.

The jewellery was valued at slightly more than £10,000, and was comprised mainly of pearls and watches.

Around three or four other people took part in the burglary and also fled the car when it was stopped, however none were caught by police.

He received two-and-a-half-years for each of the two crimes, to be served concurrently.

He also received an additional five-year sentence for a third charge of robbery, following an incident in Portsmouth in June, the day before he was due to appear at crown court charged with the two burglaries.

The robbery in the city centre left a fireman with severe injuries, and Greenhead stole the man’s phone. At the time he was on bail following the burglaries in Chichester.

Greenhead pleaded guilty to all three charges.