An eagle-eyed police officer has been praised after tracking down a suspected burglar using doorbell footage and a single-word clue, leading to a three-year prison sentence for the offender.
PC Max Kelly was among the officers called to the home of a vulnerable man in south London on Thursday, July 16, following reports of a burglary in Lewisham. Officers reviewed the victim's ring doorbell footage, which showed three men smashing through the front door and forcing their way into the home before fleeing the scene.
One-Word Clue Leads to Suspect
After the incident, PC Kelly interviewed the victim, who was shaken up and struggled to give a clear account of the raid. However, the victim remembered one of the burglars shouting: "Come on, Tyrone, let's go."
Focusing on the name "Tyrone", PC Kelly worked through police records across Lewisham, identifying potential matches and comparing their images with the doorbell footage. His investigation led him to serial offender Tyrone Muir, 47, whose profile matched the man seen in the footage.
Arrest and Sentencing
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 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 street and asking him to confirm his name. In the footage, Muir can be heard saying, "Yeah, what have I done?" before an officer tells him he is under arrest on suspicion of aggravated burglary.
Court Outcome
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."
