Second of the ‘dog flap’ burglars jailed after stealing £5,000 of items from Impington home

The second of the ‘dog flap’ burglars who stole £5,000 of items from a South Cambridgeshire home has been jailed.

Ben Hatto, 43, of North Denes Road, Great Yarmouth, was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on 17 September, after admitting one count of burglary at a previous hearing.

His sentencing follows the jailing of Winston Papalaka, 28, of Harold Road, London, who denied the offence but was found guilty after standing trial at Peterborough Crown Court in June. He was jailed for four years and six months at the same court on 29 July, as previously reported.

The pair broke into a house in Milton Road, Impington, between 10.30am and 11.50am, on 24 June, 2021, while the victim was out food shopping.

They ransacked rooms in search of valuable goods and stole items including a laptop, three watches, diamond and sapphire earrings, a Tiffany gold ring and cash, including Euros.

The victim noticed after returning home that the dog flap on the back door had been slightly damaged.

Papalaka and Hatto had left via the front door but Papalaka had been spotted by someone who recognised him.

They were also seen acting suspiciously by villagers at about 11.20am.

One resident noticed Hatto looking round the front of her home and ringing the video doorbell. When questioned, he claimed to be looking for directions to the guided busway. The woman thought this was odd as the busway was only up the road.

Checking her CCTV, she saw both Papalaka and Hatto walking up the driveway of the house. The men then walked from the woman’s house to the Milton Road property, about 15 minutes away.

Another neighbour living opposite went to her car and noticed jewellery laying on the ground, which she returned to the victim.

Police house-to-house inquiries identified another witness - a man working on the roof of a nearby house, who identified Papalaka by name and said he had seen him throwing items out from a laptop bag around his neck as he walked along the street.

An officer went to location and found a paracetamol box, a receipt and a post office seal bag. The bag was sent for forensic tests and Hatto’s fingerprints were found inside.

Both men were arrested and charged with burglary.

Det Con Lisa Bacon, who investigated, said: “Papalaka showed a complete disregard for the victim by throwing some of the stolen haul onto the street.

“I would like to thank the eagle-eyed residents and witnesses – the woman who noticed the men outside her home, the neighbour gardening, the man working on the roof of a house nearby and the neighbour opposite who noticed jewellery on the ground near her car.

“Although they may seem like small snippets of information, this case highlights how these snippets come together to help us solve crimes.”

Det Con Bacon added: “Burglary is an invasion of your home – the place you should feel safest. It can have a huge impact on victims, not only because of sentimental and irreplaceable items stolen, but also the devastation of no longer feeling safe.

“This is why tackling it is one of our priorities and we are working hard every day to bring offenders before the courts.”

Visit https://www.cambs.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/ for advice on how to keep your home safe from burglars.