A man has pleaded guilty to a series of burglaries in Worthing.
Lee Gibson, 38, of no fixed address, was arrested after he broke into a house in Marine Parade in the early hours of April 20 and stole items including an electric scooter, car keys, a wallet and an iPad.
The occupants reported the incident to police but were unable to provide a description. Therefore, Dog Unit officer PC Ryan Ashworth was deployed along with Police Dog Cara (pictured).
She tracked from the scene to Montague Street, where the suspect was found. He was challenged but made off on a bicycle.
Meanwhile, PC Ashworth noticed an electric scooter matching the description of the one stolen in an encampment in the doorway of a disused building nearby.
He continued to search for Gibson – assisted by CCTV operators – while other officers remained with the stolen property, and Gibson was eventually found hiding in a stairwell in Augusta Place.
During his arrest, he resisted officers and was abusive and threatening towards them. He was subsequently arrested for burglary and assaulting a police officer.
The items he stole were recovered and Gibson was remanded in custody to prevent further offending.
In the meantime, detectives were able to charge him with numerous other offences he was linked to.
He was charged with burglary at Cock’s Kitchen Café in Brighton Road on 7 September, 2022, after his DNA was found on a bottle of beer left at the scene.
He was further charged with burglary at The Cricketers Inn, in Broadwater, on 19 April this year after he was identified on CCTV.
He was also charged with burglary at The Park View pub in Salvington Road on 31 March this year after again being identified on CCTV.
Gibson appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 21 April, where he pleaded guilty to all offences and was further remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 19 May.
Detective Sergeant Phil Weston-Smith, of CID, said:
“A considerable amount of work went into securing these charges against Gibson to ensure he can be held accountable for his actions and to protect the local business community from further harm.
“I’d like to praise the numerous officers involved in responding to these incidents, including the work of our forensic investigators who gathered valuable evidence. I’d also like to single out Detective Sergeant Gary Jacobs and Detective Constable Matt Watson, who went above and beyond to build a file to present to the Crown Prosecution Service when time was of the essence.
“The case will now be heard before magistrates for sentencing.”
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