Three burglars from London have been sentenced to prison after a bungled getaway from a rural Surrey home led to a dramatic police pursuit involving helicopters and dogs, culminating in their discovery hiding in the bushes of an exclusive golf club.
A Fateful Traffic Violation Unravels a Burglary
The chain of events began on the afternoon of Friday, 10 October, when patrol officers in Addlestone, Surrey, observed a white Ford Transit van drive straight through a red light on New Haw Road. A routine check of the vehicle's registration plate revealed it was flagged by the Metropolitan Police for outstanding offences.
Officers signalled for the van to stop, but the driver, Charlie Stewart, 37, of Raynes Park, refused to pull over, initiating a police chase. Stewart drove the van dangerously through the areas of Chertsey and Lyne before the trio eventually abandoned the vehicle at the prestigious Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water.
High-Tech Manhunt on the Fairways
With the suspects on foot, a significant search operation was launched. The National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter was deployed alongside police dog units. Using thermal imaging technology from the air, the police were able to pinpoint the three men hiding in undergrowth a short distance from their abandoned van.
The men arrested were Stewart, Ben Belhaj-Farhat, 38, of no fixed abode, and Junior Suban, of Fulham. Stewart was found to have no driving licence. Belhaj-Farhat was in possession of cannabis, and Suban was carrying £255 in cash. All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to burgle.
Linking the Trio to the Crime
A search of the van proved decisive. Inside, officers found a gun safe that had been stolen from a property in Ockham, Surrey, earlier that day. The safe had contained an air rifle and cash. Crucially, a personalised birthday card from a well-known retailer, featuring pictures of one of the suspects, was also discovered in the vehicle.
This evidence allowed investigators to definitively link the trio to the burglary, which the homeowner reported at 9:30pm that evening—several hours after the men had already been apprehended.
Sentencing and Police Response
Appearing at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 28 November, Charlie Stewart, Ben Belhaj-Farhat, and Junior Suban each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle. They were each sentenced to 29 months in prison and ordered to pay £228 in costs.
Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Josh Hillman, commented on the case: "Stewart was driving extremely dangerously, including on the wrong side of the road at times. Thankfully, no one was hurt, especially as he does not have a driving licence. This was a great result off the back of some excellent teamwork involving officers on the ground, police dogs, and NPAS. This teamwork enabled us to locate all three men and bring them to justice."
