Two men have been jailed for 32 burglaries committed in Liverpool in a four-month period.
Robert Patrick Osu, 44 years, of Kensington and John Joseph Khan, 52 years, of Wavertree appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday 18 October, and were sentenced to one year and two months and six months in prison respectively.
The pair were initially arrested in December 2021 for burglary offences and were due to be sentenced in January 2022.
However, detectives from the Burglary Team (Operation Castle) carried out a long conspiracy investigation which resulted in both men being charged with a total of 32 burglary offences including conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to handle stolen goods.
Khan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods for all 32 burglary offences. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary.
Osu pleaded guilty to 15 offences of conspiracy to commit burglary.
The burglaries were committed in the Wavertree area including properties on Lawrence Road, Jamieson Road and Garmoyle Road between August and December 2021.
Osu and Khan pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to the charges.
Detective Inspector Kevin O’Rourke, of the Burglary Team (Operation Castle), said, “When Osu and Khan first came to our attention, we carried out a lengthy investigation which uncovered a catalogue of burglary, fraud and theft offences between them.
“The investigation showed that they deliberately targeted student accommodation so they could sell the stolen items on.
“I would encourage people to report any suspicious behaviour including the sale of stolen goods so we can take action.
“We are determined to keep reducing offences and the harm this causes across Merseyside, and we will act on information we receive.
“Burglary offences have decreased year on year across Merseyside thanks largely to Operation Castle, an operation targeted at reducing burglaries, bringing offenders to justice, and ultimately sparing residents the anguish of being a victim of burglary.”
Click here for advice and protection against burglary: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/advice-and-protection/burglary-and-theft/ 
If you have CCTV, smart doorbell or dashcam footage of suspicious activity in your area but don’t know if it is linked to a specific offence, you can upload it online for the Operation Castle team here: https://unitedkingdom1cpp-portal.digital-policing.co.uk/merseyside/appeal/castle
Your footage will be reviewed for potential links to reported offences in your area, and may help police gather evidence to solve burglaries and bring offenders to justice.
You can also report any concerns to police on 999 if a crime is in progress, via 101, or via Twitter @MerPolCC.
You can also pass information via the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org
Image: Merseyside Police. Robert Patrick Osu (left) and John Joseph Khan (right)
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