William and Edward Connors
TWO Irish brothers who came to South West Wales posing as holiday makers but instead went on a month-long burglary spree have had their assets confiscated.
William and Edward Connors raided 16 houses during December 2013, even ransacking properties on Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
The siblings broke into houses in communities from Llanelli and Pontyberem to Carmarthen, Nantycaws, Llandybie, Llandysul, Haverfordwest and Aberaeron, stealing a huge quantity of jewellery along with electrical items.
In July the pair were jailed after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary — William was sentenced to six years in jail, and Edward, who was 17 at the time, was given three-and-a-half years in a young offenders institution.
Now the case has come back to court for Proceeds of Crime Act hearings.
Swansea Crown Court heard that the brothers made more than £25,000 from their Welsh spree, but that their assets are now a fraction of that.
William, aged 25, who is still in prison, was said to have £547.70 in cash to his name — at an earlier hearing a confiscation order was made for that amount.
The financial situation of the younger brother came before the courts yesterday — Edward, who has been released from detention on licence, has assets, including a caravan and two cars, which are worth some £6,203.56.
Janet Gedrych, for the prosecution, applied for a confiscation order in the full amount — an application which was granted.
The caravan and cars will now be auctioned-off to realise their value — half of the value of the caravan will be returned to Edward's wife, and the rest of the cash, along with William's money, will eventually be paid to the victims of the burglaries in compensation.
The court heard the whereabouts of William are not known.
James Hartson, acting for the younger sibling, said his client did not have fixed address "which is surprising given he is on licence".
Judge Paul Thomas QC — the same judge who had sent the pair down in July — gave Dyfed-Powys Police four months to auction the caravan and cars.
The siblings' had used rented properties and a car with false plates as they conducted their seasonal spree.
Their sentencing hearing in July heard that a number of victims told police they would never be able to get over what had happened. One of their victims was a widow undergoing chemotherapy — the Connors brothers stole her engagement ring.
Sentencing the pair, judge Thomas told them: "Apart from the financial impact, the human cost to your victims is substantial. People's lives have been greatly affected, and lives turned upside down."
Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Brothers-went-burglary-spree-South-West-Wales/story-28385824-detail/story.html#ixzz3ufWZUnhW
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