Overview
- Hari Barnes, 19, and William Smythe, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary at York Crown Court, where Judge Sean Morris imposed the sentences.
- The offending ran from June 3 to July 27, 2025, with homes targeted for car keys and high-value cars and the pair captured on multiple CCTV cameras scouting properties.
- North Yorkshire Police’s Operation Cartilage compiled more than 500 items of witness, CCTV, digital and forensic evidence tying the defendants to the scenes.
- The court accepted seven linked offences across Bilton, Valley Gardens and New Park, covering two house burglaries, four attempted burglaries and a shed burglary, with Smythe also responsible for another burglary.
- Victim statements detailed significant trauma, including a break-in while children slept and a theft that left a disabled man housebound, prompting police and the CPS to fast-track the case due to community impact.