A burglar has been brought to justice thanks to the quick thinking of a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) and the support of the local community in Eastbourne.
PCSO Julian Williams was following up on concerns raised by residents of the Old Town area around a man acting suspiciously in the early hours of February 16, 2023. As the local PCSO for the area, Williams was sent images of the suspect and was able to identify him as 46-year-old Allan Beaton.
Further enquiries by Williams revealed that there had been two burglaries that night in Kirk Way and Colwood Crescent. Officers from the Neighbourhood Response Teams attended Beaton’s address in Lennox Close, Eastbourne and were able to recover multiple items of stolen property, which was returned to the victims of both break-ins.
Beaton was arrested on suspicion of two counts of burglary and during his arrest, he also attempted to kick, headbutt, and bite officers, resulting in an additional arrest on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.
Beaton pleaded guilty at Hove Crown Court on March 20 and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for each burglary, to run concurrently, and three months for the assault to run consecutively.
PCSO Williams said: “From the time of the first burglary being reported, to Beaton being in custody was under eight hours, and he pleaded guilty at an early stage thanks to the compelling evidence officers were able to secure.
“This case shows the benefit of working really closely with our local community, listening to them and responding to their concerns, and building up a strong base of local knowledge. That’s what is at the heart of the role of a Police Community Support Officer.
“It also shows the value of people reporting crimes and concerns to us so we can respond effectively and create a picture of what is happening in our local area.”