A burglar has been jailed for seven and a half years for a crime spree across Brighton and Hove.
Daniel Laverty, 33, was caught after a high-speed car chase up the A23, with the police helicopter having been called in to assist officers on the ground.
Laverty ended up crashing the car – a stolen Kia Sportage – not far from Hassocks where he was arrested.
Sussex Police said today (Friday 4 August): “A man has been jailed for his role in a series of burglaries, thefts and criminal damage in Brighton and Hove and for leading police on a dangerous car chase along the A23.
“On Monday 9 January, police received a report of a car having been stolen from Hove following a burglary.
“An investigation was launched and, on Sunday 15 January, the stolen vehicle – a Kia Sportage – was located and pursued by officers along the A23.
“The car, driven by 33-year-old Daniel Laverty, of Maskelyn Close, in Battersea, London, led officers and the NPAS (National Police Air Service) helicopter at high speed before crashing.
“Laverty was arrested at the scene and released on conditional bail while inquiries continued.”
Two days later, in the early hours of Tuesday 17 January, Laverty and an accomplice went on a stealing spree across Brighton and Hove.
They started with damage and theft from a vehicle in Gordon Close, on the corner of Symbister Road and Gordon Road, in Portslade.
They then burgled a property in Rutland Gardens, Hove, and stole a car before burgling another property in Clermont Terrace, Brighton.
Sussex Police said: “The offenders were interrupted during one of the burglaries by a woman who went downstairs to find them in her house while her two children and a friend slept upstairs.
“She chased them from the building where she was threatened with violence.
“Laverty was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of burglary, three counts of theft, theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, theft from a motor vehicle, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and possession of class A drugs.”
Laverty pleaded guilty to some of the charges and, after a three-day trial at Hove Crown Court, he was found guilty of the others except for one count of theft.
Sussex Police added: “Throughout the trial Laverty claimed to have no knowledge of any of the burglaries or vehicle thefts despite being captured on doorbell footage at the scene of one of the crimes.”
On Wednesday 26 July, the trial judge Recorder Neil Mercer jailed Laverty for seven and a half years.
Detective Constable Josh Bellamy said: “Daniel Laverty hoped that a jury would believe his lies – that he was an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time, attempting to paint himself as just as helpless as his victims.
“I am pleased that those lies were not believed. He has been rightly convicted for what was a selfish spree targeting innocent people in their homes.”
Five years ago, in August 2018, Laverty was jailed for four years after he was found guilty of burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and driving without insurance.
He and another man broke into a house in Battersea at 5am while those inside were asleep. The pair stole handbags, clothes, laptops and car keys and the victims’ Range Rover from their driveway.
At the wheel of the stolen Range Rover, Laverty was stopped by police in London. He then rammed the police car, injuring two officers who had to be treated in hospital.
