Portsmouth boy, 15, sentenced over 'personal crime-wave' across five-months in Portsmouth and Southampton

The Portsmouth boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at the city's crown court on Wednesday where he was sentenced to two years in prison.

Police said incidents linked to the case included theft, vehicle theft, house burglary, and stolen number plates.

PC Tony Percival of Hampshire Constabulary’s Operation Hawk team, which specialises in investigating burglary, said: ‘Although of a young age, this young man spent a number of months committing his own personal crime-wave across Portsmouth, also hitting other areas in Hampshire.

‘The impact that burglary and theft has on its victims should not be understated, and these crimes were understandably distressing to the people impacted.

‘We are pleased with this sentence, and hope that it gives the young man involved a chance to reflect on his actions, learn from his crimes and understand the impact it has had on his victims and the community. We hope that this outcome also sends a message out to residents that we are committed to tackling acquisitive crime and protecting our communities from crime of this nature.’

Among the incidents was a house burglary in Lower Drayton Lane in Cosham, where jewellery, clothing, and two bicycles were taken at some point between Wednesday, August 3, and Monday, August 8, in 2022.

The burglary also saw two vehicles taken from the driveway before being recovered later.

Another incident saw police chasing a stolen vehicle, after a vehicle had been taken from East Shore Way in Portsmouth in August 2022.

The vehicle in question was spotted around an hour later by patrolling officers eastbound on the A27.

The driver of the vehicle tried to evade officers and mounted a grass verge before stopping.

In October, a 15-year had his phone and airpods taken in Church Road in Portsmouth. The boy was not injured.

Also in Church Road in November, a motorcycle was stolen and later recovered in London Road.

On Monday, November 21 a vehicle was taken from outside an address on Railway View in Portsmouth, spotted later by offices in Union Place, fitted with plates stolen from a vehicle parked in Melville Road in Southsea.