Police team scoop award for probe into terrifying burglaries

The Operation Snowdrift investigation team

A team of police investigators have won an award after bringing down two burglars who tied up and threatened a terrified elderly couple while ransacking their home.

The householders were woken by two intruders shining torches and armed with wooden mallets. 

The 78-year-old man and 75-year-old woman were taken out of bed and had their hands bound with zip ties during the frightening ordeal which lasted about two hours. 

The man was threatened with a mallet and demands were made for him to open a safe. 

Further threats were made towards him after another safe was emptied by one of the intruders.

They went on to search each room in the house before returning with bags full of property. 

The 78-year-old was hit with a mallet, striking his head and leg, and was strangled as the frightening ordeal continued. 

The couple were tied up and locked in a bedroom during the incident which happened at an address in Spring Hill, Kimberley, during the early hours of 16 October 2020. 

The man listened out for a vehicle to leave before he managed to slip out of his zip ties, free his wife and alert the police.

The offenders, who wore face coverings, had ripped the landline phone cable from the wall and broken the victims’ mobile phones to prevent them calling for help. 

They fled the scene in the victims’ car having stolen £24,762 worth of jewellery, including many sentimental items. 

Both victims were checked over by paramedics but didn’t need hospital treatment. 

Following extensive lines of inquiry, police arrested and charged two suspects in connection with the incident. 

Simon Hinton, aged 54, and Dale Wright, aged 42, denied aggravated burglary and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, but the strength of evidence compiled against them - including the above CCTV image - saw them found guilty following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Just eight days before the incident, on 8 October 2020, Hinton was involved in another aggravated burglary at an address in Holly Road, Watnall. On that occasion he was armed with a sword. 

Three occupants were threatened and suffered non life-threatening injuries during the night-time raid.

The victims bravely fought back which caused the offenders to leave. A bank card was stolen during the burglary. 

As a result of the police investigation – called Operation Snowdrift – Hinton was sentenced to 18 years in prison, plus five years on extended licence, making a total of 23 years, after being convicted of two counts of aggravated burglary. He was also given a one-month sentence, to be served concurrently, for taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent. 

Wright was given an eight-year sentence, after being convicted of one count of aggravated burglary. He was also given a one-month sentence, to be served concurrently, for taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

The Operation Snowdrift team – comprising detectives, police officers and police staff – were crowned winners of the Investigation of the Year category at Nottinghamshire Police’s Force Awards earlier this week.

They were nominated by Detective Chief Inspector Nick Hall, who said:

“The meticulous and detailed work undertaken by the investigation team ensured that two very violent and desperate offenders were quickly identified, apprehended and have since been taken off the street for a considerable period of time. 

“A complex and detailed case file was then composed up to ensure a watertight case was built against the two suspects. 

“The team devoted countless hours to securing justice for the victims and they should all feel very proud at what they achieved in this case.”

Speaking on behalf of the team, Detective Constable Andrew Sibley said:

“Everyone on the team was both pleased and relieved when the guilty verdict was returned.

“We were glad that we could get a good result for the victims. On a personal level I felt it was a worthy result for the time and effort that went into the investigation.

“We’re very pleased the investigation won Investigation of the Year and that the hard work of all the officers and police staff involved has been recognised. I think this investigation is a great example of the teamwork that goes into complex investigations.”

More detail on this year’s Force Awards winners can be found here: Winners of Nottinghamshire Police Force Awards announced | Nottinghamshire Police.