A man has been jailed for over two years following six burglaries - one where he broke into a student flat while the victim was home.

Darren Turner began a string of burglaries on July 27, 2022, when he broke into a family-run restaurant in Sunbury-on-Thames and took £260 in cash from the till and additionally caused £3,000 worth of damages.

Later that year, on August 16, 2022, Turner broke into a student flat in Egham while the victim was at home and stole items amounting to £1,750.

The victim reported hearing broken glass and upon investigating found Turner reaching into his bedroom and stealing his Macbook.

Turner, 40, also broke into two businesses in Sunbury-on-Thames in September that year, the first where he stole £100 in cash from a restaurant on September 7 and the second where he stole IT equipment to the value of £376 from a business on September 29.

Turner visited a home on Chessington Road in Epsom on October 11, 2022 where he stole tools to the value of £760.

Turner was found on CCTV visiting a local pawn shop the same day with the stolen tools, pawning them for cash.

On November 12, 2022 Turner broke into a restaurant in East Molesey resulting in £90 worth of damage, however nothing was taken.

An investigation with forensic work enabled police to identify Turner and on November 28, 2022, he was arrested and remanded in custody.

Turner appeared at Guildford Crown Court on April 5 this year, where he pleaded guilty to one dwelling burglary, four non-dwelling burglaries, and handling stolen goods in relation to the second dwelling burglary.

He was sentenced at the same court on May 9 to 31 months imprisonment and was ordered to pay £228 in victim surcharges.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Daniel Bell, said: “I want to praise the victims of this case for their patience and fortitude.

“This has had a massive impact on all of them; it’s one of people’s worst fears having their house broken into. In addition, each of the businesses that Darren Turner targeted were small, family run businesses which impacted the victim’s livelihoods.

“Surrey Police takes burglary extremely seriously; it’s one of our force priorities and we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who commit such crimes.”