Op Castle: man sentenced following burglary on Wirral

Detectives from Operation Castle, our dedicated burglary team, are welcoming the sentencing of a 23-year-old Liverpool man following a burglary in Birkenhead earlier this year.

John Toohey of Oil Street, Liverpool, was jailed for two years for burglary at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday 8 October, following a guilty plea.

On Wednesday 24 February we received a report of a burglary at an address on Hoylake Road, Birkenhead.

Cash and approximately £4,000 worth of jewellery were stolen from the address.

Following extensive police enquiries, John Toohey was arrested in connection with the incident in May and later charged.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Steven Byrom said: “To be a victim of burglary can have a profound effect on the lives of victims, from the shock and unease felt by having somebody invade your home, the inconvenience of losing property, through to the often severe long-term psychological impacts.

“We hope that today’s sentence not only helps his victims, but also gives Toohey time to reflect on the harm he has caused while serving his sentence.

“Since the launch of Operation Castle in 2018, we have seen offenders sentenced to a total of more than 500 years in prison and seen burglary offences decrease year on year. Vital to this progress is information from those people, businesses and communities affected, so keep coming forward and we will take action.

“It’s also worth having a look at the different ways you can make your homes unattractive targets for would-be criminals. Advice is available on our website for locks, cameras and other measures to bring greater security and peace of mind.”

For more information, see here: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/ and for more, follow our force social media accounts @MerseyPolice on Twitter and Merseyside Police on Facebook and your local account.

Always call 999 if a burglary is in progress. You can also pass information to the social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter, 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre' on Facebook, call 101 or the independent charity @CrimestoppersUK anonymously, on 0800 555 111.