An astute police officer who tracked down a south London burglar using doorbell footage and a one-word clue has been praised after the thief was jailed for three years.
PC Max Kelly was among the officers called to the home of a vulnerable man in Lewisham on Thursday, July 16, following reports of a burglary.
Following the incident, PC Kelly interviewed the victim who was shaken up and found it difficult to give a clear account of the terrifying raid.
The victim did, however, remember one of the burglars shouting: “Come on, Tyrone, let’s go.”
Tyrone Muir, 47, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison for burglary at a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, October 19.
Met Police
Refusing to let the burglars escape justice, PC Kelly focused upon the name “Tyrone” and began working through police records across Lewisham, identifying potential matches and painstakingly comparing their images with the footage captured by the doorbell.
His sleuthing led him to serial offender Tyrone Muir, 47, whose profile matched the man seen in the footage.
Officers obtained an address for Muir and set off to arrest him.
Around ten minutes from the address, PC Kelly spotted a man sitting on a bench.
Muir had disguised himself and completely changed his clothing since the burglary earlier that day, but PC Kelly immediately recognised him.
Footage released by Met Police shows officers approaching Muir in the streets and asking him to confirm his name.
PC Max Kelly worked through police records to identify possible matches to the suspected burglar in the doorbell footage
Met Police
In the footage, Tyrone can be heard saying, “Yeah, what have I done?” before an officer tells him he is under arrest on suspicion of aggravated burglary.
Muir, of Micheldever Road, Lewisham was sentenced to three years and two months in prison for burglary at a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, October 19, after pleading guilty three months earlier at the same court.
Speaking after the sentencing, PC Kelly said: “It took time to trawl through all the potential matches, but I was determined to explore every avenue.
“When I matched Muir’s face to the man in the footage, I knew we had our suspect. I couldn’t believe it when I spotted him on the bench and swiftly arrested him.”