A PROLIFIC criminal who escaped from prison and burgled homes in Tadworth and Kingswood has been locked up for six years.
Adam Yaroo pleaded guilty at Guildford Crown Court today (Thursday) to four charges of burglary and two of attempted burglary.
Yaroo also asked for a further 36 offences, which occurred between January 2012 and September this year in Surrey, Oxfordshire, London, Kent, Derbyshire and Sussex, to be taken into account.
The 28-year-old was arrested in September, three months after escaping from prison in Derbyshire. In that time he stole cash and jewellery from homes in Tadworth and Kingswood.
Police forces across the south east launched a manhunt after his DNA was found at the properties and Surrey Police caught up with him in Clapham, London, on September 17.
They found a rucksack in his van containing a chisel, gloves and emergency window breaking hammer.
- On July 3, Yaroo stole jewellery worth £18,000 from a home in Epsom Lane South, Tadworth.
- On July 11, cash and keys to a VW Beetle were taken from a home in The Hoppety, Tadworth.
- On August 29, jewellery, watches and electrical items were taken from a house in Outwood Lane, Kingswood.
- A second home in Great Tattenhams, Burgh Heath was targeted on the same day.
- The two attempted burglaries relate to homes in Waterhouse Lane, Tadworth on July 11 and Outwood Lane, Chipstead on August 27.
Yaroo was linked to the crimes when a number of witnesses came forward. His DNA was found on a cigarette butt found outside the property in Epsom Lane South and on a screwdriver left behind at the property in Outwood Lane, Kingswood.
When searching the area around the property in Waterhouse Lane, Tadworth officers found a set of keys to a VW Beetle which Yaroo had taken earlier in the day from The Hoppety.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Anna Pattrerson said: "Adam Yaroo was a brazen burglar who carried out his offences in broad daylight, taking expensive jewellery and electrical items.
"A huge amount of effort went into catching Yaroo who was wanted by numerous forces in the south east because of his offending.
"I hope today's sentence gives reassurance to the public that we take burglary extremely seriously in this county and will not rest until wanted criminals are brought to justice.
"Yaroo was a career criminal who planned his burglaries. When challenged by members of the public he attempted to fool them with a story about how he was trying to track down witnesses to a motorbike accident the day before."
