Serial burglar jailed for over 10 years for ‘cowardly’ offences against the elderly

A serial burglar has been jailed for more than a decade following an investigation by the Met Police.

Jim Chuter, 33, was jailed for 11 years at Guilford Crown Court on May 19.

Chuter, was imprisoned over a series of “cowardly” burglaries in London, Surrey and the Thames Valley.

He had previously pleaded guilty to 26 charges including nine for burglary, sixteen counts of fraud and a robbery.

Chuter’s offences took place between September 2019 and July 2019 and was discovered when a Surrey Police officer identified him during a review of a cold case.

Police said the assailant would often target elderly people who usually lived on their own.

He targeted one 90-year-old man for several months stealing the man’s entire life savings of £25,000.

Investigating for the Met, Detective Constable Hannah Woodford said: “Chuter is a career criminal whose cowardly offences were committed against vulnerable and frail people at a time when they were already living with the worries and loneliness of pandemic life.

“As police, we understand that the effects of being a victim of crime go far beyond a loss of property and my thoughts are with Chuter’s many victims and their families. I hope that the considerable sentence handed down brings them some comfort and a sense of justice.”