A Lewisham man has been jailed for burglary after a police officer identified him using just a single word overheard at the scene. Tyrone Muir, 47, of Micheldever Road, Lewisham, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison at Woolwich Crown Court.
The incident took place on Lee High Road, where PC Max Kelly of the Met’s Territorial Support Group attended a burglary in progress on Thursday, July 16. Doorbell footage showed three men breaking into the victim’s home. Although the distressed victim struggled to provide information about the attackers, he remembered one of them shouting, ‘come on Tyrone, let’s go.’
Officer cross-references name with police records
PC Kelly cross-referenced the name Tyrone with police records in Lewisham. He then compared potential matches to the doorbell footage and identified serial offender Tyrone Muir as the suspect. Once an address was obtained, officers moved to make an arrest.
PC Kelly spotted Muir sitting on a bench about 10 minutes from the address and recognised him despite a change of clothes and attempts to disguise himself. PC Kelly said: "It took time to trawl through all the potential matches, but I was determined to explore every avenue. When I matched Muir’s face to the man in the footage, I knew we had our suspect. I couldn’t believe it when I spotted him on the bench and swiftly arrested him."
Chief superintendent praises detective work
Chief superintendent Chris Green said: "This was a distressing case, involving a vulnerable individual who had been cruelly targeted in his own home and may have been further exploited by Muir. PC Kelly’s actions demonstrate the best of policing and are representative of the standards of professionalism and commitment on the TSG. He refused to give up, identified a small but significant clue and worked hard to safeguard the victim."
Muir was sentenced to three years and two months in prison at Woolwich Crown Court. The conviction was secured through PC Kelly’s persistent detective work, which included reviewing doorbell footage and cross-referencing a single name with police records.
