Three men have been sentenced following a meticulous investigation into a string of burglaries spanning more than three months in 2024.
Joshua Charles Heal, Ethan Paul Sharman, and Andrew Sharman were linked to over 30 burglaries throughout Somerset and Devon from August to November 2024.
On November 15, 2024, police arrested the trio after executing search warrants at properties in Street, Bridgwater, and Somerton, recovering hundreds of suspected stolen items.
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The recovered goods ranged from antique silverware, paintings, and furniture to weapons, power tools, garden machinery, and electrical equipment.
Joshua Charles Heal, 25, of Bridgwater, and Ethan Paul Sharman, 21, of Somerton, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit multiple burglaries of both residential and commercial properties in Somerset and Devon during the period.
Heal received a sentence of nine years and three months, while Sharman was sentenced to six years and eight months at Bristol Crown Court on October 31, 2025.
Judge Hart described the crime spree as relentless, causing irreparable damage to victims and their homes.
Andrew Sharman, 44, from Street, admitted to intentionally assisting in the commission of burglaries by providing premises for storing stolen goods, supplying a hired vehicle used in the crimes, and aiding in evading police following a vehicle crash after a burglary.
He was sentenced to 26 months imprisonment on June 5, 2025.
Investigating officer PC Mark Owen praised the concerted efforts of Avon and Somerset Police in this complex case. He highlighted the breadth of targets, including large private residences, shops, and outbuildings.
“Through reviewing extensive crime reports and creating an online gallery of the recovered property, we were able to identify and return many valuable items to their rightful owners,” PC Owen said.
“Burglary is a deeply invasive crime that leaves lasting emotional scars, especially when personal and sentimental belongings are stolen. Thankfully, we have returned jewellery, watches, coins, decorative china, clocks, and silverware, providing some relief to the victims.”
PC Owen emphasized the importance of proving ownership in burglary cases and advised the public to photograph valuable possessions as proof.
“I hope these sentences bring closure to those affected and send a clear message that burglary will not be tolerated,” he added.