Bristol man, 22, jailed for spate of car key burglaries that saw him break into homes as people slept

The 22-year-old was a ‘key member’ of the gang
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A Bristol man has been jailed for over three years after committing a string of burglaries that saw him break into peoples’ homes in the middle of the night before swiping keys to expensive, high-powered cars.

Anthony Rodriguez-Taylor was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday (May 26) after pleading guilty to a catalogue of offences including stealing car keys, handbags and a Mini Cooper S that was later used to ram-raid a garage in Brislington.

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The court heard that Rodriguez-Taylor of Sea Mills, was a ‘key member’ of a group of offenders which took part in the burglaries around the Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire force areas.

The 22-year-old would target properties in mostly rural areas of Somerset, looking for high-powered cars such as Volkswagen Golf Rs and Audi S Lines parked on roads or drives outside properties.

The group then broke into the homes through the windows and doors in the middle of the night, often while the victims were asleep, and steal car keys and, on occasion, money and other personal belongings such as handbags.

Anthony Rodriguez-Taylor, 22, was jailed for three years and seven months at Bristol Crown Court.Anthony Rodriguez-Taylor, 22, was jailed for three years and seven months at Bristol Crown Court.
Anthony Rodriguez-Taylor, 22, was jailed for three years and seven months at Bristol Crown Court.

The cars were often abandoned in south Bristol and found badly damaged with internal parts that contained tracking equipment ripped out.

Rodriguez-Taylor was charged and pleaded guilty to:

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A burglary on Monday, November 8 2021 in which he forced entry to a home in Barton St David in the middle of the night and stole two handbags.

A burglary in Abbots Leigh on Sunday, January 30 2022 in which Rodriguez-Taylor and a second man used a long-handled tool to smash the front door open and stole money.

An attempted burglary in Abbots Leigh on Saturday, February 12 2022 in which Rodriguez-Taylor, along with three other suspects climbed the wall of a victim’s home and spent an hour looking to gain access to the house, damaging the property.

A burglary and theft of a vehicle at a home in Abbots Leigh on Saturday, February 12 2022. The victims were away when Rodriguez-Taylor gained access to a property and stole a Mini Cooper S. The Mini was then used to ram a residential garage in Brislington and a plastic tub was stolen.

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Rodriguez-Taylor also asked for a further 27 offences to be taken into consideration.

They included the theft of multiple cars, including an Audi TT, Audi S5, Volkswagen Golf R, VW Golf R, Audi Q7 and a BMW.

Videos of the stolen cars were uploaded onto TikTok, showing the vehicles being driven quickly.

Lead Investigating Officer, PC Jim Card, from the Burglary Focus Team on Op Remedy, said that ‘significant time and effort’ had gone into the investigation, which took place over several months.

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“This is a great result for the team and justice for those victims who, not only had their possessions stolen, but also had their homes broken into and their privacy breached,” added PC Card.

“An investigation to identify further offenders is still ongoing but it would appear Rodriguez-Taylor was a key member of the gang as, after he was placed on remand in February 2022, the offending considerably slowed down.”

Rodriguez-Taylor was handed a prison sentence of three years and seven months.

He was also banned from driving for 40 months, ordered to take an extended driving test and had £1,147.50 of available assets confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

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