Man convicted for stealing from homes he was surveying in Staffordshire
He stole £13,000-worth of jewellery from two homes
A man has been convicted after he stole £13,000-worth of jewellery from homes he was surveying in Staffordshire.
37-year-old James Lancashire, who's from Shropshire, admitted two counts of theft in dwelling other than an automatic machine or meter.
The court heard how Lancashire was an operator in the property industry when he carried out surveys on the two homes he stole from.
In the first home, he stole from a man in his 60s.
The victim realised that around £2,250-worth of jewellery, including a sovereign ring and a gold-plated watch, was missing.
He stole a platinum diamond ring, an engagement ring, a wedding ring and a watch, worth a total of around £11,000, from his second victim, a woman in her 50s.
The sovereign ring was later located at a pawn shop in Telford and returned to the victim.
Lancashire is due to be sentenced on 20th March 2026.
PC Daniel Marsh, who worked on the case, said: “This was a complex investigation and thanks to the evidence gathered against Lancashire, he has now pleaded guilty in court.
“Lancashire was allowed into his victims’ homes as he should have been there for work, but instead he took advantage of them and stole thousands of pounds worth of jewellery.
“I hope this conviction shows we are committed to protecting residents and their property across Staffordshire.”