Reece Faria, a 28-year-old Brighton resident, has been given a prison sentence of two years and three months for a series of crimes in Brighton and Hove.
Faria, who appeared at Hove Crown Court on November 16, admitted guilt on October 6 to numerous offenses including five burglaries, two thefts, two fraud counts, and one count of handling stolen goods.
His criminal activities started on September 12, 2022, with a burglary in Brunswick Square, where he took electronics, jewelry, and cash. He then stole a charity collection box from a St James’s Street coffee shop on October 7. On October 21, reports of two business burglaries on Bond Street emerged, where a stolen bank card was later used by Faria in the city.
Further crimes included a burglary on October 30 on Islington Road, where a Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 were taken, and a bike theft on November 2 from Queens Road. Faria also attempted theft in Montpelier Road on November 6.
After being linked to these crimes and arrested in November 2022, Faria was released on bail. Subsequent fingerprint analysis led to further charges. While on court bail, he committed additional burglaries, including thefts from a Jubilee Street bar in May 2023 and a New Road restaurant in July 2023.
Following his arrest for these latest offenses, Faria missed a court date, leading to his re-arrest and remand in custody. His sentence includes an additional three months for failing to appear in court.
Detective Constable James Botting said:
“After comprehensive investigations into multiple offences, we found Faria at the centre of all our enquiries.
“The repeated violations of privacy, thefts from businesses and fraudulent activities have finally caught up with Faria, and we are pleased to take him off the streets, preventing further offending.
“We thank the victims and witnesses involved for assisting us in our enquiries, helping us get to this point where we are able to hold Faria accountable for the choices he made to target households and businesses across the city.”
