A burglar has been jailed after detectives spotted his distinctive features on the security footage and linked him to crimes from last year.

Dean Whyte broke into a house in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, on September 21. He made off with two purses, personal documents, and £450. Five days later, he attempted another burglary nearby, where CCTV cameras captured his distinctive facial features, which led to his capture.

Despite attempting to conceal his identity with a scarf and a hat, Whyte was identified on security footage due to his distinctive bushy sideburns and angular cheekbones, which detectives spotted upon analysis. 

Nottinghamshire Police officers correlated these features with Whyte’s custody image, where his unruly sideburns were displayed. When apprehended three days later, Whyte was donning a conspicuous multi-coloured puffer coat that he wore during the incidents.

At Nottingham Crown Court, Whyte, still with his distinctive sideburns, pleaded guilty to one burglary charge and one attempted burglary charge. He was cleared of six other offences, but he received a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence for his crimes. 

“This case was a timely reminder about the value of domestic security cameras to investigators,” said Detective Constable Philipp James of the Nottinghamshire Police. 

Detective James also said the meticulous scrutiny of recorded footage had enabled his team to tie Whyte to both crimes through the items seized from him during the search of his residence. 

“I am pleased he has now pleaded guilty and hope this sentence offers some comfort to the victims who had their homes and lives violated by a man they had never met,” he said. 

Is burglary a serious issue in Worksop?

In 2023, Nottinghamshire’s overall crime rate stood at 91 crimes per 1,000 daytime population, according to data retrieved by crimerate.co.uk. Comparatively, Worksop’s crime rate was significantly higher, registering 126 crimes per 1,000 people. 

However, according to the Nottinghamshire Police, theft and burglary were not the most common crimes in Worksop in January 2024. In that month, the police recorded 15 other theft cases in Worksop North and eight other theft cases in Worksop North Villages.

Even though the recorded theft count in Worksop barely reached 30 incidents, this shouldn’t lead residents to become complacent about their home security.  

As highlighted by Detective James, investing in CCTV or surveillance cameras is crucial for households, not only in Worksop but also in other cities across Nottinghamshire, especially those living in affluent areas like Bramcote, King’s Walk, Berry Hill, and Oakham.

CCTV systems provide three main functions. First, they can be a strong deterrent against burglars and vandals, dissuading them from targeting properties with a heightened risk of detection. High-quality video footage enables precise identification of trespassers, facilitating law enforcement in apprehending culprits swiftly. Lastly, continuous monitoring ensures that suspicious activities are promptly identified, fostering a vigilant environment. 

Homeowners seeking suitable CCTV systems for their residences can enlist the services of security firms such as Marengo. They offer tailored solutions tailored to each home’s needs, providing expertise in selecting, installing, and maintaining CCTV systems that best suit the property’s security requirements. They can also find and install other tools to complement the cameras for comprehensive security.