Police suspect that a violent armed burglar linked to a string of break-ins at luxury homes across southeast England may be a trained soldier.
The man studies the layout of estates, the location of safes and the routine of households - sometimes by hiding in the garden - using a methodical approach that suggests military training, Surrey Police say.
Officers fear the intruder, who carries a sawn-off shotgun, could seriously injure or even kill his next victim, reports Sky News. He strikes about every six months and has stolen at least £1m worth of heirlooms, watches and jewellery, in a total of seven burglaries, the BBC says.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Victims have been left traumatised, with some bound, beaten and threatened with the gun during the heists. One woman suffered a broken jaw and had a tooth knocked out, The Guardian says.
“He hit me three times on my face ... I couldn't believe the blows kept coming,” said 61-year-old Susan Morris, who was dragged across the floor by her hair as the man demanded more jewellery.
Four police forces are hunting for the man following raids in Berkshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex between 2014 and 2017.
Surrey Police detective inspector Dee Fielding says investigators “do not believe this to be the work of an opportunist burglar, but someone who has specialist knowledge and skills – possibly ex-forces or from a similar background”.
The man is described as white, stocky and about 1.8 metres (6ft) tall, with a southern accent.
-
Bluetoothing: the phenomenon driving HIV spike in FijiUnder the Radar ‘Blood-swapping’ between drug users fuelling growing health crisis on Pacific island
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
3 officers killed in Pennsylvania shootingSpeed Read Police did not share the identities of the officers or the slain suspect, nor the motive or the focus of the still-active investigation
-
Dash: the UK's 'flawed' domestic violence toolThe Explainer Risk-assessment checklist relied on by police and social services deemed unfit for frontline use
-
The ethics behind facial recognition vans and policingThe Explainer The government is rolling out more live facial recognition technology across England
-
The Met police's stop and search overhaulThe Explainer More than 8,500 Londoners have helped put together a new charter for the controversial practice
-
NCHIs: the controversy over non-crime hate incidentsThe Explainer Is the policing of non-crime hate incidents an Orwellian outrage or an essential tool of modern law enforcement?
-
The new powers to stop stalking in the UKThe Explainer Updated guidance could help protect more victims, but public is losing trust in police and battered criminal justice system
-
'Warriors' vs 'guardians': the pitfalls of police recruit training in the USIN DEPTH American police training fails to keep pace with the increasingly complex realities that today's officers face
-
Derek Chauvin, killer of George Floyd, reportedly stabbed in prisonSpeed Read Chauvin was convicted of Floyd's murder in 2021
