Man stole packages from Royal William Yard residents

A man who stole packages from people living in the Royal William Yard, including one residents birthday present, has avoided jailtime. William Renshaw, 37, pleaded guilty to five counts of burglary in September after he was captured on film taking parcels from communal lobbies in buildings on the Royal William Yard.

Renshaw, of Woodlands Road, Roby, Liverpool was seen on CCTV taking parcels at Brewhouse Building, which is only open to residents, on September 6 and 18, leaving through the main door each time, Plymouth Magistrates Court heard. On September 15, he was seen entering the Clarence Building, with similar security measures.

Devon and Cornwall Police had previously received reports a copy of The Unknown Soldier, signed by author John Nicol, was delivered to the Brewhouse Building and had been stolen between August 25 and September 1. Another theft was reported on September 17, where T-shirt - which was a birthday gift - was stolen from the lobby of the Clarence Building.

The same man was seen barging through doors on CCTV, with enough force to break open the magnetic lock an cause around £1,000 of damage. Renshaw was identified and arrested on Tuesday, September 24.

Officers carried out a search in Royal William Yard Road, where Renshaw had been staying, and police recovered the same clothes worn by a man in CCTV footage, along with a large amount of mail and parcels with other Royal William Yard addresses on them. The signed book was also found.

Renshaw was charged with five counts of burglary other than a dwelling. He pleaded guilty to five charged on Wednesday, September 25 and was sentenced on Friday, November 22 at Plymouth Magistrates' Court. Renshaw was sentenced to four months in jail, suspended for 12 months

Detective Constable Gareth Jones who led the investigation, said: “We hope this reassures the public that police do take a pro-active stance on these types of offences. We always work to ensure that, where possible, justice is served.

“I would like to acknowledge the excellent work of all the Stonehouse Neighbourhood Policing Team in bringing this person to justice and thank all those people who supported us in this investigation.”

If you have been affected by crime, please visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system. You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.