‘Use common sense’ call in burglary trial

A JURY trying a gang of alleged burglars has been urged to look at the various “strands” of evidence in the case and find the defendants were involved in a widespread conspiracy.

The jurors were invited to look at the totality of the prosecution case and apply their common sense in coming to verdicts.

But a barrister for one of the defendants told the jury they were being asked to convict on the basis of “guilty by association” rather than solid evidence.

Seven people are on trial at Swansea Crown Court accused of being involved in a conspiracy to commit scores of burglaries across South-West Wales over a six-month period.

It is the Crown’s case that the gang carried out a spree of “highly-organised, sophisticated, brazen” break-ins targeting houses perceived as belonging to affluent owners or houses where elderly people lived.

Tens of thousands of pounds’ worth of jewellery, along with large amounts of cash and a number of cars, were taken.

The burglaries and attempted burglaries – committed between July 2018 and January 2019 – happened across Llanelli, Gorseinon, Clydach, Pontardawe, Sketty, Morriston, Neath, Skewen, Port Talbot, Cwmavon, Porthcawl, Kenfig Hill, and Maesteg.

In a number of the raids, bleach or other cleaning products were used to try to frustrate forensic investigations.

Seven people are on trial accused of being part of the conspiracy to commit burglary – Daniel Joseph Joyce, 35, of Mill Stream Way travellers’ site, Swansea Vale; James Daniel Joyce, 39, of Llangyfelach Road, Brynhyfryd; Keiran Joyce, 27, and Terrence Casey, 20, both of Mynells Gorse travellers’ site, Leicester; William Edward Joyce, 24, of HMP Swansea; 21-year-old Patrick Joyce, of HMP Onley in Rugby; and a youth who cannot be named because of his age.

Christine Joyce and Keiran Joseph Joyce, both 59 and of Mill Stream Way travellers’ site, Swansea Vale; and Mary Kate Connors, 23, of Rhossilliy Avenue, Rumney, Cardiff, are now facing charges of handling stolen goods.

All the defendants deny all the charges against them.

In his closing speech Ian Wright, barrister for the prosecution, asked the jury to look at the various “strands” of evidence in the case – DNA evidence linking a number of the defendants to stolen cars and jewellery, items from nine of the burglaries being found at various locations on the Mill Stream Way site, bundles of cash found under a false floor in one of the site’s caravans along with a “burglar’s kit” of gloves, screwdrivers, a knife, footwear and clothing purchases, as well as mobile phone data and eyewitness testimony.

The court also heard closing speeches from a number of defence barristers.

Lawrence Henderson, for Keiran Joyce junior, told the jury it was invited to “find guilty by association”.

He said there was a “paucity of evidence” in the case which no amount of common sense could make up for.

The jury also heard from Hywel Davies, representing the youth in the case.

He said that despite his client being accused of taking part in a series of burglaries involving wearing masks and other coverings, running to and from properties, and jumping over garden walls on summer nights – which he described as a “sweaty business” – not a single piece of DNA had been found at any of the crime scenes or in any of the recovered cars which could be linked to the defendant.

The barrister also pointed out that police officers had told the court there were still four “persons of interest” they wanted to speak to as part of their investigation into the burglaries, whom they had not been able to find.