Burglar jailed after electronic tag linked him to £100k Colchester burglary
Alan Speed was caught by Essex Police teams after being tracked to the scene
A burglar has been jailed for four years after an electronic tag placed him at the scene of a burglary in Colchester, where an estimated £100,000 worth of valuables were stolen.
Alan Speed, of Parsloes Avenue, Dagenham, committed the burglary in Church Lane on his 40th birthday in April 2025.
Essex Police’s Integrated Offender Management team, which tracks tagged offenders, received an alert that Speed was in the area of the crime. He was later identified via CCTV footage at the scene.
Investigators linked him to a vehicle and arrested him in St Osyth days after the burglary.
After a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Speed was convicted and sentenced on 21st January to four years behind bars.
The court heard that Speed and two accomplices stole jewellery, artwork, and other valuable items during the burglary.
Inspector Terry Jacobs, from the Essex Police Integrated Offender Management team, said the conviction highlights the value of GPS tagging initiatives.
“This case shows how effective GPS tagging and strong partnership working can be in tackling persistent offenders involved in serious acquisitive crimes, such as burglary,” said Jacobs.
“The Electronic Monitoring scheme tracks the movements of people released from prison and matches them against reports of crimes across Essex.
“Our officers are also comparing images of suspects with CCTV footage from crime scenes to help identify those responsible.”
Inspector Jacobs added, “This work assists our detectives and investigating officers to build strong cases to put before the courts and get justice for victims.”