A prolific burglar who smashed his way into a series of homes in Plymouth and East Cornwall has been jailed for seven and a half years.

Greg Disbrey, 39, stole priceless jewellery and cash, dousing the properties with cleaning products in an attempt to clean his tracks.

Disbrey, of Saltmill Close, Saltash, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court on Thursday, 14 May, for sentence after pleading guilty to eight burglaries with a further seven offences to be taken into consideration when sentencing.

The court heard how the break-ins were committed during daylight hours, with Disbrey typically gaining access by smashing doors and windows – often when the victims had left their homes for a short period of time.

Once inside, Disbrey would target gold jewellery and cash.

Many of the victims were elderly, and the items stolen carried enormous sentimental value. 

In multiple properties, bleach and cleaning products were sprayed throughout homes in an apparent attempt to hinder forensic recovery, leaving often elderly victims with the additional indignity of cleaning the damage and contamination left behind in their own homes. 

In November 2025, a property in Portway Close, Plymstock, was burgled, and more than £10,000 worth of jewellery was stolen. 

Detectives meticulously reviewed CCTV from a nearby address and, after many hours, identified a white van seen in the area at the relevant time. Although the footage was insufficient to identify the driver facially, detectives believed the suspect was a lone male offender.

Through painstaking examination of the footage, officers identified a vehicle registration number. The van was insured to Greg Disbrey, who subsequently became a person of interest.

At that stage, however, detectives knew there was insufficient evidence to secure charges and believed any stolen property would already have been disposed of.

A vigilant council worker later reported suspicious property dumped in a car park at The Broadway in Plymstock. 

The items were identified as belonging to one of the burglary victims, and detectives were able to obtain CCTV linking the same white van to the location. Disbrey then became a suspect.

On November, 10 2025, another property on Plymstock Road was burgled. Detectives linked Disbrey’s van to the area at the relevant time. The following day, the van again travelled from Cornwall into Plymouth, and officers made the decision to apprehend him.

Officers from the Priority Crime Investigation Team (PCIT), supported by Roads Policing officers, flooded the area in search of the suspect. 

Two detectives eventually located the van travelling back towards Cornwall, and Disbrey was arrested with his vehicle being seized. 

It was later established that a further burglary on Plymstock Road had been committed and was reported after residents returned home from work.

During a search, officers found a concealed compartment behind the driver’s seat within the bulkhead of the van. 

Inside were jewellery and watches stolen from the two Plymstock Road burglaries.

Greg Disbrey was interviewed but denied involvement, claiming he had lent the van to another unnamed person. 

Disbrey was then charged in relation to the burglaries at Portway Close and two on Plymstock Road.

However, investigation work continued and using analytical evidence, mobile phone data, radio frequency analysis, financial investigations and extensive detective work, investigators began linking Disbrey to further offences across Plymouth and East Cornwall.

Detectives seized and reviewed CCTV from buses operating along the Plymstock Road route. Footage from one of the buses showed Disbrey inside the garden of one of the burgled addresses as the bus drove past. 

Further enquiries established that Disbrey had travelled to Tiverton, changed clothing, and then used the rail network to travel to London. This was a pattern of travel on at least eight occasions that Greg Disbrey undertook, dating back to May 2025. 

Detectives followed his footsteps and travelled using Transport for London cameras and private CCTV systems, tracing him to Hatton Garden and a jewellery business. 

Working alongside the Flying Squad, detectives executed a search warrant at the jeweller in Hatton Garden on Tuesday, 16 December 2025.

Although no stolen property was recovered during extensive searches of the premises, CCTV captured Disbrey attending the business, the day after the burglary at Portway Close and attending a nearby Post Office and depositing cash into his account.  

Detectives continued work in an attempt to identify the location of stolen items and were able to recover some jewellery from a jeweller in Plymouth and reunite those items with victims from East Cornwall.

Deputy Senior Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Paula Smith, of the Priority Crime Investigation Team (PCIT), said: “This was an extremely challenging investigation. 

“The burglaries were often committed in quiet residential streets with limited or no CCTV coverage. There were no witnesses and, frustratingly, initially no suspects. Detectives pursued every available line of enquiry, often only to reach a dead end. 

“I remember speaking with and trying to reassure an 86-year-old victim whose wedding rings, belonging to her late husband, had been stolen alongside family war medals. As hard as we may try as Police Officers to offer care and comfort to victims of crime, my words of comfort felt worthless on this occasion. 

“Greg Disbrey caused significant distress to his victims and stole treasured family heirlooms that were both irreplaceable and of immense sentimental value.

“His offending was driven by a gambling addiction. Perhaps because that addiction had no obvious physical signs, he was able to hide in plain sight for a considerable period of time.

“Although he has now pleaded guilty and been sentenced, he denied involvement for many months.

“This investigation was a true team effort led by PCIT but involved many other departments. I am immensely proud of the drive, professionalism and dedication shown by everyone involved in securing this conviction.

“I would also like to thank the victims and witnesses for their patience and support throughout what has been a lengthy and complex investigation.”

Police are reminding residents to take the following steps to help protect their homes from burglary:

• Ensure all doors and windows are locked, even when leaving home for a short time.

• Consider installing CCTV, video doorbells or monitored alarm systems.

• Keep valuable jewellery and sentimental items stored securely and out of sight.

• Mark valuable property using forensic marking products or property registers.

• Avoid posting holiday or travel plans publicly on social media.

• Report suspicious vehicles or individuals in residential areas to the police immediately. 

• Maintain good relationships with neighbours and consider joining local neighbourhood watch schemes.

• Anyone with concerns about suspicious activity in their area is encouraged to contact police via 101 or report information online. In an emergency, always dial 999.