Investigators used data from the GPS tag Ambrose Treeby was wearing whilst on licence from prison, to prove he had stolen cash from two vulnerable victims.

In November 2022, a woman in her 90s living near Wrotham Road, Borough Green noticed £20,000 had been withdrawn from her bank account without her knowledge. She enquired with her bank and discovered a cheque had been presented at a branch in Tonbridge earlier that year, and the funds transferred to Treeby’s account. The victim could not recall meeting Treeby and the incident was reported to the police. Investigators later found he had swiftly made several large cash withdrawals once the cheque had cleared.

On 23 January 2023, Treeby went to an address near Loose Road, Maidstone and knocked on the door. A woman, who was in her 70s and had never met Treeby, answered. He asked if she could change a £5 note and then followed the resident into her house as she checked her purse. Treeby asked to use the bathroom and shortly after the pensioner found him walking away from her handbag. He quickly left the property and the victim found he had stolen £150.

Detectives arrested Treeby two days later and were able to use data from his GPS prison tag to place him at both victims’ addresses at the time the crimes were committed. It also showed him near the bank in Tonbridge when the cheque from the first break-in was presented. The pensioner from the second burglary later selected him in an ID procedure. Treeby, of Queen Street, Paddock Wood was charged with two burglaries and cashing a fraudulently obtained cheque. He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and on Tuesday 4 April, the 39-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment.

Detective Constable Josh Littley, of the Kent Crime Squad, said: ‘Treeby is a callous villain who has stolen cash from elderly victims relying on the trusting nature of one of them to gain access to her home.

‘He is a prolific criminal as shown by the way he continued committing offences whilst wearing a GPS tag. This allowed us to gather irrefutable evidence that led to his conviction. The vulnerable in our community will certainly be safer while he is in prison.’